ANGLO-SAXON AND NORMAN ARCHITECTURE. 3 
and more critical investigation, a great reaction took place, 
and when I first turned my attention to the subject, nearly 
thirty years ago, the received opinion among architeetural 
antiquaries was, that no building remained, any part 
of which could with certainty be pronounced to be of 
Saxon workmanship; and that even those fragments which 
might be of earlier date than the Norman Conquest, were 
identical in style with those which were certainly known 
to be of later date than that event. 
This view of the matter was, however, soon modified 
by the results of closer observation. I well remember 
when, about five and twenty years since, I was so for- 
tunate as to become acquainted with that justly cele- 
brated architectural antiquary, Mr. William Twopenny— 
that his opinion was, that there was no Saxon building 
in existence; and that about two years afterwards, when 
I again had the pleasure of meeting him, he told me that 
his opinion was changed, for that he believed he had dis- 
covered in the quoins of some buildings, which he had 
supposed to be early Norman, a peculiarity which he 
thought might prove to be a characteristic of Saxon 
‚masonry. That peculiarity was the system of bonding, 
now technically known as long-and-short work. And 
later researches have brought to light several other 
peculiarities, which are now generally supposed to be 
indicative of erections prior to the Norman Conquest, or, 
at all events, of a style differing materially from that 
known to be Norman, which prevailed in this country from 
the latter part of the eleventh to the close of the twelfth 
century. 
A few of the most striking uf these peculiarities I will 
now endeavour to describe. Before, however, entering 
upor the peculiarities of any style of architecture, it will 
A3 
