Editing Anglo-Saxon architecture (section)

== Church architecture: historical context ==
[[File:Brixworth AllSaints south.jpg|thumb|[[All Saints' Church, Brixworth]], [[Northamptonshire]]]]
[[File:Original Brixworth Plan.jpg|thumb|Reconstructed basilican plan of [[All Saints' Church, Brixworth]] in [[Northamptonshire]]]]

The fall of [[Roman Britain]] at the beginning of the fifth century, according to [[Bede]], allowed an influx of invaders from northern Germany including the [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]] and [[Saxons]].

The [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]] and the [[Saxons]] had [[Anglo-Saxon paganism|their own religion]], but [[Christianity]] was on its way. [[Saint Patrick|St Patrick]], a Romano-British man, converted [[Ireland]] to [[Christianity]], from where much of Western Scotland was converted and much of [[Northumbria]] was reconverted. Links were also established between the Christian communities in Ireland and those in [[Wales]] and the [[Dumnonia|West country]] at sites such as [[Perranzabuloe|St Piran's Oratory]] which represents some of the earliest Christian architecture extant on the British mainland. The architecture though was initially influenced by [[Coptic monasticism]].<ref>Pevsner, N. (1963) ''An Outline of European Architecture'', Harmondsworth</ref>
 
Examples of this can be seen today in the form of rectangular dry-stone [[corbelled]] structures such as at [[Gallarus Oratory]], [[Dingle]] and [[Castlegregory|Illauntannig]], [[Ireland]]. Christianity and Irish influence came to [[England]] through missionaries. In 635, a centre of [[Celtic Christianity]] was established at [[Lindisfarne]], [[Northumbria]], where [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|St Aidan]] founded a [[monastery]].

In 597, the mission of [[Augustine of Canterbury|Augustine]] from [[Rome]] came to [[England]] to convert the southern Anglo-Saxons, and founded the first [[cathedral]] and a [[Benedictine]] [[monastery]] at [[Canterbury]]. These churches consisted of a [[nave]] with side chambers.

In 664 a [[Synod of Whitby|synod]] was held at [[Whitby]], Yorkshire, and differences between the Celtic and [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman]] practices throughout England were reconciled, mostly in favour of Rome. Larger churches developed in the form of [[basilica]]s, for example at [[All Saints' Church, Brixworth]].

The [[Britons (Celtic people)|Romano-British]] populations of [[History of Wales|Wales]], [[Dumnonia|the West Country]], and [[Cumbria]] experienced a degree of autonomy from Anglo-Saxon influence,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/discover/explore/dark-ages/architecture/|title=- English Heritage|website=english-heritage.org.uk|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref> represented by distinct linguistic, liturgical and architectural traditions, having much in common with the [[Irish people|Irish]] and [[Breton people|Breton]] cultures across the [[Celtic Sea]], and allying themselves with the [[Viking]] invaders. This was however, gradually elided by centuries of English dominance. Characteristically circular buildings<ref name="auto">Medieval Devon & Cornwall; Shaping an Ancient Countryside, Ed. Sam Turner, 2006</ref> as opposed to rectangular, often in stone as well as timber, along with sculptured [[Celtic crosses]], [[holy wells]] and the reoccupation of [[Iron Age]] and Roman sites from [[hillforts]] such as [[Cadbury Castle, Somerset|Cadbury Castle]], promontory hillforts such as [[Tintagel]], and enclosed settlements called [[Ringfort|Rounds]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historic-cornwall.org.uk/flyingpast/enclosed.html|title=Flying Past – The Historic Environment of Cornwall: Enclosed Settlements|website=historic-cornwall.org.uk|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref> characterise the western Sub-Roman Period up to the 8th century in southwest England<ref name="auto"/> and continue much later in independent [[Wales]] at post-Roman cities such as [[Caerleon]] and [[Carmarthen]].

<!-- [[File:Reculver Column.jpg|thumb|right|Column detail, Reculver church]] -->
Subsequent Danish ([[Viking]]) invasion marked a period of destruction of many buildings in England, including in 793 the raid on [[Lindisfarne]]. Buildings including [[cathedrals]] were rebuilt, and the threat of conflict had an inevitable influence on the architecture of the time. During and after the reign of [[Alfred the Great]] (871–899), towns ([[burh]]s) were fortified. Contemporary defensive banks and ditches can still be seen today as a result of this. [[Oxford]] is an example of one of these fortified towns, where the eleventh-century stone tower of [[St Michael at the North Gate|St Michael's Church]] has prominent position beside the former site of the North gate. The building of church towers, replacing the [[basilica]]n [[narthex]] or West porch, can be attributed to this late period of [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] architecture.