led Choir, and the Lady Chapel, when the
Decorated English prevailed: and the chapels of bishops Alcock and
West when the Perpendicular style was adopted. "It will be thus seen
that this remarkable structure completely illustrates the history of
church architecture in England from the Conquest to the Reformation,"
viz., Norman, A.D. 1066-1150; Transitional, 1150-1200; Early English,
1200-1300; Decorated, 1300-1460; Florid, or Perpendicular,
1460-1550.[6]

[Footnote 6: The periods were thus divided by the late Mr. Sharpe:
Norman, A.D. 1066-1145; Transitional, 1145-1190; Lancet, 1190-1245;
Geometrical, 1245-1315; Curvilinear, 1315-1360; Rectilinear,
1360-1550.]

The Cathedral was commenced, as before stated, in A.D. 1083, by
Simeon, in the Norman style; the Choir, with its apse or semicircular
end--altered however to a square end before it had proceeded far--the
central Tower, the great Transept, and part of the Nave were begun by
him, but were not finished at his death in 1093; of this work, only
the ground-story of the great Transept now remains; the original plan,
as was usual in Norman churches, comprehended an eastern arm of
moderate length, a Transept, with a central Tower at the crossing, and
a Nave; the Choir usually occupying the crossing and one or more bays
of the Nave, the eastern arm being used as a presbytery or sanctuary.

After a delay of seven years, the work was carried on by Abbot Richard
(1100-1107), who probably completed them, with the exception of the
Nave, which was finished about 1174, affording a fine specimen of
later Norman, and by its extension westward gave the church the form
of a Latin cross, then much used. It is not improbable that the
Conventual Church, which the new building was intended to supersede,
stood on the site of the present Nave, and was removed from time to
time to make room for the new and enlarged building then in progress.

A few years later the great western Tower with the wings, forming a
second Transept, were begun, but whether by Bishop Harvey or by the
monks themselves during the episcopate of Bishop Nigel (1133-1169), we
cannot say; they were carried on during the episcopate of Bishop Ridel
(1174-1189), and completed as high as the first battlements during
that of his successor, Longchamp (1189-1197), producing a fine example
of what is called the Transitional style. During this latter period
the Romanesque had been rapidly giving way to the Pointed style, and
t