Beyond the Reformation: A New Interpretation of Ecclesiastical Architecture in Early Modern England

The religious architecture built in England after the Reformation has long been held in low esteem. Looking both backwards to the Gothic past and forwards to a Classical future, its mixture of styles has long been understood as demonstrating uncertainty and insularity, set against the achievements of Continental architects.

However, by returning to contemporaneous sources and examining new religious buildings in the light of Reformed sermons and writings, this long-standing interpretation can be challenged. Rather than examples of provincial ignorance, new churches and chapels eloquently express the ideals of sacred architecture in the Early Modern era.