1. Emphasis on Verticality:
* French Gothic: While striving for height, French cathedrals maintained a balanced silhouette, often featuring pointed arches and vaults, but also incorporating horizontal elements like flying buttresses and decorative triforium galleries.
* English Gothic: English cathedrals took verticality to an extreme. They featured soaring, narrow windows, tall, slender piers, and elaborate vaulting systems that created a sense of incredible height and lightness.
2. Window Design:
* French Gothic: Large, stained glass windows were important for illuminating the interior, but they often incorporated tracery patterns that were more geometric and less elaborate.
* English Gothic: English cathedrals featured vast expanses of stained glass with intricate, almost web-like tracery patterns. The windows often reached from floor to ceiling, filling the interior with light and creating a sense of awe.
3. Vaulting:
* French Gothic: French cathedrals utilized ribbed vaults, which allowed for a more lightweight and elegant structure. These vaults typically had four or six ribs.
* English Gothic: English cathedrals frequently employed complex vaulting systems with multiple ribs, often arranged in a fan-like pattern. This "fan vaulting" created a sense of intricacy and depth within the interior.
4. Decor:
* French Gothic: French cathedrals often emphasized sculptural elements, with elaborate portals, statues, and gargoyles.
* English Gothic: While decorative elements were present, English cathedrals placed more emphasis on the overall architectural form and the intricate tracery of their windows. They often featured elaborate pinnacles and other vertical features, adding to the feeling of height and aspiration.
5. Plan:
* French Gothic: French cathedrals typically followed a cruciform plan, with a long nave, transepts, and a large choir.
* English Gothic: While some English cathedrals followed the cruciform plan, others adopted a more rectangular form, emphasizing the longitudinal axis of the building.
Overall, the English adaptation of Gothic architecture was characterized by a sense of verticality, lightness, and intricacy. While drawing inspiration from French Gothic, the English style evolved to create a distinctive and highly sophisticated architectural expression.