Illustrated Dictionary of British Churches - Compound Column Definition

History and Architecture

Compound Column

Also called a compound pillar, a compound column is a support, usually of stone, made up of numerous slender columns grouped together. Solid, single columns are more common, particularly in Norman and Early English churches but by the time you reach the Decorated period church architects were starting to experiment with new forms, emphasizing the vertical thrust of columns. Many compound columns use different types of stone, so it is very common to see dark Purbeck marble columns grouped with lighter coloured limestone columns. The central column of the chapter house of Lincoln Cathedral is a good example of this type of compound column (see photo).

Related: Early English   Purbeck Marble   Chapter House  




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This decisive battle saw Alfred the Great defeat the Danes under Guthrun



08 June, 793

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Vikings sacked Lindisfarne, Northumbria. This Viking raid was part of ongoing Viking attacks that forced the monks of Lindisfarne to abandon their monastery and take the body of St Dunstan on a journey that eventually ended at Durham Cathedral.

This king established the Order of the Garter



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