vided into three groups.
First, those which preceded the Danish invasion; secondly, those from
the above epoch to the invasion of Sweyn; and thirdly, those onward to
the Norman Conquest.

[Side note: Saxon Architecture.]

What exactly constituted Saxon architecture has long been a
controversial point and one which will probably never be definitely
settled. Parker, in his "_Glossary of Architecture_," says:--

"For a considerable time, after they (the Anglo-Saxons) had
established themselves in this country, their buildings were
of wood, and this appears to have been the prevailing material
employed at the time of the Conquest, although stone had been
occasionally used several centuries earlier.... No timber-work
of Saxon date can be in existence at the present time, but it is
contended by some antiquaries that several of our churches exhibit
specimens of Saxon masonry; the truth of this theory, however, is
not fully established, nor has the subject of Saxon architecture
been yet sufficiently investigated to clear away the obscurity in
which it is involved."

Probably few of our so-called Saxon churches were built earlier than
thirty or forty years before the Norman Conquest, and it seems certain
that for some years after they had settled in England, the Normans
employed Saxon masons to build in the Saxon manner, as is seen by the
tower of S. Michael's Church, Oxford, which, although showing all the
characteristics of reputed Saxon masonry was built many years after the
Battle of Hastings. Certain it is that these pre-Norman buildings in
England were singularly rude and rough and show how much our Saxon
ancestors were, at that period, behind the Italians, French and Germans
in architectural skill.

[Side note: Saxon Churches.]

Our best examples containing Saxon work are possibly the churches at
Sompting and Bishopstone, Sussex; Bradford-on-Avon; Wootton Wawen
(sub-structure of tower); Wing; Brixworth, and Barnack, Northants;
Greenstead in Essex; and S. Martin's at Wareham, Dorset. Of towers of
this date the best are possibly those of S. Mary's and S. Peter's,
Lincoln and S. Benet's, Cambridge. Of crypts, the finest examples are
at Ripon Cathedral, York Minster (part) and S. Mary's Church, York. In
addition to these, many other churches have chancel arches, doorways or
some other less important features which are considered to be of Saxon
origin.

These early buildi