The English medieval parish church

The English Parish Church is potentially the greatest single resource for the study of the medieval community. Spread throughout the land – there are some 13,000 – the parish church lay at the heart of society and reflects ever-shifting patterns of ownership, beliefs, cults and personal piety. Most conveniently, their history falls naturally into five sections; before the Conquest, the Normans, early Gothic, Decorated and Perpendicular and though these terms might suggest a purely architectural approach to the topic, each period sees major changes in the uses, funding and ownership.  

The Anglo-Saxon period is the least clear. Few buildings survive and many that do have been subjected to additions and restorations. The whole notion of the Parish was slow to start in England, thanks in no small part to Viking invasions and political chaos. The Normans swept away most of the owners of churches, while the founding of numerous monastic institutions saw many parishes appropriated. The Normans also rebuilt the vast majority of churches, often on entirely new sites, as well as introducing the Romanesque style across the land. The 13th century witnessed changes in liturgy and funding as well as the new Gothic Style. The Decorated period around 1300 exploded with expenditure associated with the rise of the Chantry movement, a mania that would propel major new buildings for the rest of the Middle Ages.  

Not surprisingly, the Protestant Reformation with its justification by Faith saw a dramatic, and sometimes uncertain end to parish church building, leaving England with one of the most intact medieval collections of its kind in Christendom.

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• Understand the economic implications of Parish Church financing and the changes that occur.  
• Determine the dates of buildings from stylistic devices and developments  
• Appreciate the impact of liturgical reforms and cults in the period in art and architecture. 

Classes

1. England before the Conquest. The confused picture of organisation. The impact of the Vikings. The surviving architectural evidence.  
2. The Normans. The redistribution of land and patronage. The Anglo-Norman style of architecture. The impact of monastic growth upon parishes.  
3. The Thirteenth Century. Significant liturgical reforms and their impact on the layour of churches. The Gothic Style.  Dramatic cehangs over financial responsibilities and their consequences for the rest of the Middle Ages.  
4. The Decorated Style. The emergence of a lavish and expensive  style. The growth of the Chantry movement and its enormous impact upon building, The impact  of Cults.  
5. The Perpendicular Style. A new and radical change in the appearance of buildings. Growth of Trade Guilds and their impact on building work. Private and organised group patronage of building projects. The impact of the Reformation. 

Typical week: Monday to Friday

For each week of study you select a morning (Am) and an afternoon (Pm) course, each course has five sessions, one each day Monday to Friday. The maximum class size is 25 students. Your weekly courses are complemented by a series of two daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.

Evaluation and Academic Credit 

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses. 

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £65 per essay.

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.

Certificate of attendance

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically within a week of your courses finishing.