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quiz about Stonehenge

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How much do you know about Stonehenge? Take our 5-question quick quiz to find out!

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Quiz about ancient Greek architecture

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Key vocabulary and images for Greek architecture Learn with flashcards, games, and more - for free.

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interactive test about Greek architecture 1

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1. This column, with its plantlike decorations at its capital, is _____ .

2. You would most likely find an idol to a God in an ancient Greek temple's _____.

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About This Quiz & Worksheet

Among their other numerous achievements the ancient Greeks made several important contributions to the field of architecture. These assessment tools will go over essential information about the architecture of the ancient Greeks. The quiz will test you on things such as the different types of Greek columns and the function of different components of Greek architecture.

Quiz & Worksheet Goals

This quiz and worksheet will test you on:

Ancient Greek columns

Entablature decoration

Idols in Greek architecture

Greek theatres

Skills Practiced

Information recall - check your recollection of key pieces of information pertaining to the different styles of Greek architecture and their function

Defining key concepts - make sure you can accurately define terms related to Greek architecture, such as entablature

Knowledge application - apply the knowledge you've gained from the lesson to identify different types of Greek columns and answer questions about the function of Greek architecture

Additional Learning

To learn more about the architecture of the ancient Greeks, review the corresponding lesson called Ancient Greek Architecture: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. This lesson covers the following topics:

Orders of Greek columns

Structure of Greek temples

The Parthenon

Treasuries and stadiums

Theatres

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quiz & worksheet - architecture of ancient greece | study.com

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Quiz & Worksheet - Architecture of Ancient Greece | Study.com

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2. You would most likely find an idol to a God in an ancient Greek temple's _____. Start your free trial to access this entire page A premium account gives you access to all lesson, practice exams, quizzes & worksheets Access to all video lessons Quizzes, practice exams & worksheets Certificate of Completion Among their other numerous achievements the ancient Greeks made several important contributions to the field of architecture.

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Interactive test about Greek architecture 2

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Greek Architecture - chrisyocca QuizRevolution Channel

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Create your own multimedia quiz or survey in minutes - for fun, education, training, research ...

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Greek architecture

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Il Team Teaching del NerviLentini e molto altro....

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5 A | Il Team Teaching del NerviLentini e molto altro....

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Italiano Storia Inglese CLIL Matematica Estimo Topografia PCI Cantiere e sicurezza Laboratorio di edilizia ed esercitazioni di topografia

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Half-Timbering, Shakespeare, and Ye Olde Inns

The most notable architecture in Stratford-upon-Avon is half-timber work, where buildings have an exposed wooden framework, with the rest typically filled in brick, plaster or wattle-and-daub.

A Brief History of Half-Timbering

Half-timbering was common in China and Japan, and became especially popular France, Germany and England in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The contrast between the dark timber and the light plaster became more stark than in earlier examples - decorative elements such as floral plasterwork, tile or slate inlays, carved motifs, timber chevrons and herringbone brickwork were added.

You can see most examples of half-timbered houses in the South of England and the Midlands where stone were more difficult to come by.

Half-timbered houses often have an overhanging upper storey, which added vital space but was also a structural device. It was common courtesy in England for the man to walk on the outer side of the pavement (where there was one), where he was most likely to be splashed by the contents of chamber pots emptied from above.

Original Half-Timbering in Stratford

The building housing the Garrick Inn dates from 1595, although there may have been a pub on the site from as early as the 14th century. Today it houses a pewter museum.

Harvard House, to the right of the Garrick Inn above was the home of John Harvard's (the founder of Harvard University) mother, Katherine Rogers.

Stratford-upon-Avon is most famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and the house where William was born in 1564 remained in the Shakespeare family until 1806.

Other members of the Shakespeare family have houses dotted around the city, such as Nash's House (inherited by Shakespeare's daughter Susanna), and of course, his wife Anne Hathaway's family home about a mile North of the city.

The Shakespeare Hotel is a Grade I listed building, which is the highest architectural preservation listing in the UK.

Mock-Tudor - Important in its Own Right

In the 19th and 20th centuries there was a Tudor architectural revival - referred to as Mock-Tudor), which was a reaction to the Victorian Gothic style. Mock-Tudor focused on the simple, rustic and less ornate aspects of Tudor buildings - keeping the steeply pitched roofs, herringbone brickwork and half-timbering, but losing a lot of the carving, inlays, and plaster motifs.

Visiting Stratford's Tudor Buildings

As part of our 7-day cycle tour we take in the sights of Stratford-upon-Avon, where we visit some of the historic houses of Shakespeare's family, now owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. We can even take in a matinee or evening performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company - what better place to see Hamlet or Macbeth than in in Shakespeare's hometown?

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Written in Black & White: The Architecture of Stratford-upon-Avon

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The most notable architecture in Stratford-upon-Avon is half-timber work, where buildings have an exposed wooden framework, with the rest typically filled in brick, plaster or wattle-and-daub. Half-timbering was common in China and Japan, and became especially popular France, Germany and England in the 15th and 16th centuries.

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half-timber work, method of building in which external and internal walls are constructed of timber frames and the spaces between the structural members are filled with such materials as brick, plaster, or wattle and daub. Traditionally, a half-timbered building was made of squared oak timbers joined by mortises, tenons, and wooden pegs; the building's cagelike structural skeleton is often strengthened at the corners with braces. This method of timber framing was adapted to both low, rambling country homes and six- or seven-storied buildings in crowded towns. In the 20th century a modified version of the method was still being used, in which light sills, studs, and joists only 2 inches (5 cm) thick are nailed together to make the house's frame in place of the old pegged girts, beams, and braces. Where only the decorative effect of half-timber work is desired, boards are applied to a wall surface in a sham version of the old structural pattern.

Half-timber work was common in China and, in a refined form, in Japan and was used for domestic architecture throughout northern continental Europe, especially Germany and France, until the 17th century. In England it was popular in regions that lacked stone as a building material. It was used in England in the southern counties and the West Midlands, especially, from about 1450 to 1650.

Many domestic buildings done in half-timber work have a characteristic second-story overhang. This projection gains a small amount of space on the upper levels. The main advantage, however, is structural: the cantilevers at the ends of the beams partially counterbalance the load carried by their spanning portions.

The wooden frames of 13th- and 14th-century half-timber structures were often elaborately ornamented. Exposed ground-floor posts were frequently carved with the images of patron saints, whereas other framing elements were enriched with delicate running patterns. In France the latter emphasized the vertical elements, and in England the tendency was to stress the horizontal lines of the structure.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the decorative contrast between the dark timber and the lighter filling was fully exploited. Panels between the studs were made of brick in herringbone patterns or of plaster molded or incised with floral forms or with inlays of slate, tile, or marl. Carved ornament was lavish and fanciful and showed classical motifs. Many wooden members were added without structural necessity. These were often crisscrossed under windows, and in England, where more timberwork was exposed, they were assembled in cusped shapes or chevrons to create the striking patterns of the "black and white" manor houses of Cheshire and Lancashire.

In Germany a bolder and cruder effect was obtained by using fewer elements and emphasizing angle bracing. English inhabitants of the American colonies found it expedient to use an insulating layer of wood siding (clapboards or weatherboarding), and half-timbering was not visible from outside. In the French and German American settlements, however, the buildings were faithful copies of the European models.

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Half-timber work | History, Techniques & Benefits

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Half-timber work, method of building in which external and internal walls are constructed of timber frames and the spaces between the structural members are filled with such materials as brick, plaster, or wattle and daub. Traditionally, a half-timbered building was made of squared oak timbers

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This is an Educational Podcast that can be used as a resource when teaching Medieval Society.

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Here are some facts about stone keep castles.

Stone keep castles were built all over Medieval England, many by William the Conqueror. They replaced the many wooden castles that had been built, and were designed for strength and security.

They were first built in France during the 10th and 11th centuries, and the idea was brought to England. Stone from France was often used in the construction of the stone keeps.

Most stone keep castles had kitchens on the ground floor and living quarters on the top floors. At first they were rectangular and then later designs were circular.

The stone keep, or tower, was the heart of the castle. As well as being built for defence, it meant that rooms could be larger and more luxurious, often with fireplaces.

Stone keep castles offered much better defence than the wooden castles which were built before them. They had thick and strong walls, a drawbridge and were defended by a moat or ditch.

These stone castles were expensive to build, and their construction often took several years.

Many of the most well known castles in England are stone keep castles. Over 80 were built, including Windsor Castle, Lincoln Castle, Nottingham Castle and Warwick Castle.

The White Tower at the Tower of London is one of the most famous stone keeps. The tower is 27 metres high and over the centuries has been used as a prison, armoury, treasury and Royal Mint.

Another well preserved example of a stone keep is Dover Castle. It was built in the 12th century and has underground tunnels dating from the Napoleonic wars.

Dover Castle was also one of the most expensive stone castles to be built. King Henry II spent about 30 percent of his income on simply renovating and looking after it.

What next? Discover more castle facts by visiting our castles resources page.

Filed Under: Castles

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Here are some facts about stone keep castles. Stone keep castles were built all over Medieval England, many by William the Conqueror. They replaced the many wooden castles that had been built, and were designed for strength and security. They were first built in France during the 10th and 11th centuries, and the idea was ...

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Here are some of the key facts about motte-and-bailey castles.

What is a motte and bailey castle?

A motte and bailey castle is, as the name suggests, made up of two parts: the motte and the bailey.

The motte is a raised mound or earthwork with a stone or wooden keep (a fortified tower) on top. The bailey is a courtyard enclosed and protected by a ditch and a palisade (a wall made from lare wooden stakes).

Check out this video about motte and bailey castles. It contains lots of good images and information, although I'm not sure the music suits the subject matter!

Motte and bailey castles were first used in England by the Normans. They used these castles to make their settlement of England more secure following William the Conqueror's victory in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

New motte and bailey castles stopped being built by the late 1200s.

Motte and bailey castles were used all over Europe. They could be found in: England, Wales, Normandy, Anjou, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark.

The term 'motte and bailey' would not have been used when the castles were being built. It is a more modern phrase.

Mottes could be either man-made or natural. Sometimes an existing mound would be added to. Mottes were flat on top and they varied quite a bit in terms of height and diameter. In some places, the motte could be 30 metres high, but this wasn't normal. Most mottes were between 5 and 10 metres in height.

There was usually a keep and wall on top of the motte. Wood was often used to construct the keep, but they were also constructed from stone. Just as with the motte, the size of the keep varied from castle to castle.

Wooden keeps were often covered with animal hides to make them less easy for attackers to set on fire.

Baileys were often shaped like kidneys. Sometimes the shape of the bailey was dictated by the surrounding terrain. They were protected by a palisade fence and ditch.

The bailey contained many different types of building, including: kitchens, chapels, barracks, stables, workshops, forges, stores, halls.

The motte and bailey were linked by a bridge or by steps on the side of the motte.

The ditches of the motte and bailey would often combine. If you were looking at this from above, it would look like the number 8. Often water was diverted into the ditch, creating a moat.

The basic motte and bailey design was adapted and altered quite often. Some castles had more than one motte, some had several defensive ditches, some had square mottes, and some had two baileys.

Castles also evolved over time and they often underwent frequent stages of development and modernisation. Many of today's castles started out as motte and bailey designs, but don't look like this today as they have grown and changed over time. Almost no motte and bailey castles are still used today - Windsor Castle is the exception, but many still stand.

It did not take a great deal of skill to construct the simplest, wooden motte and bailey castles. If a big enough labour force was available, they could be completed in a matter of weeks.

About four fifths of the castles constructed by the Normans in England used the motte and bailey design.

Click here to see some diagrams of motte and bailey castles and also some links to other related resource and activities.

Here is a page all about making a model of a motte and bailey castle.

Check out the Primary Facts castle resources page.

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Motte and Bailey Castle Facts - Primary Facts

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Here are some of the key facts about motte-and-bailey castles. What is a motte and bailey castle? A motte and bailey castle is, as the name suggests, made up of two parts: the motte and the bailey. The motte is a raised mound or earthwork with a stone or wooden keep (a fortified tower) on ...

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The beginnings of London can be dated with some exactitude to the invasion of the Romans in 43AD. Prior to the Roman invasion there was no permanent settlement of significance on the site of London. Instead, the Thames River flowed through marshy ground sprinkled with small islands of gravel and sand. There were probably more mosquitoes than people inhabiting the area.

The commander of the Roman troops was one Aulus Plautius. He pushed his men up from their landing place in Kent towards Colchester, then the most important town in Britain. The Roman advance was halted by the Thames, and Plautius was forced to build a bridge to get his men across.

This first "London Bridge" has been excavated recently, and found to be only yards from the modern London Bridge!

The Roman bridge proved a convenient central point for the new network of roads which soon spread out like a fan from the crossing place and allowed the speedy movement of troops. The Roman settlement on the north side of the bridge, called Londinium, quickly became important as a trading centre for goods brought up the Thames River by boat and unloaded at wooden docks by the bridge.

Just 18 years after the arrival of the Romans, Boudicca, queen of the Iceni tribe of present-day East Anglia, launched her rebellion against the new rulers of Britain. The new trading centre of London was one of her primary targets, and her warriors leveled the burgeoning city to the ground and killed thousands of the traders who had begun to settle there.

The city was quickly rebuilt, with a cluster of timber-framed wooden buildings surrounding the imposing Roman civic buildings. The city continued to grow in size and splendor over the next century, reflecting the increasing importance of trade in Britain.

By the middle of the second century AD, Londinium possessed the largest basilica (town hall) west of the Alps, a governor's palace, a temple, bathhouses, and a large fort for the city garrison. Gracechurch Street, in the City, runs through the middle of the old Roman basilica and forum (market place).

One of the best Roman remains in London is the 2nd century Temple of Mithras (mithraism was a form of religion popular among Roman soldiers). It was found near Walbrook during construction work in this century, and moved to Temple Court, Queen Victoria Street. Artefacts recovered from the excavation of the temple are now in the Museum of London.

About the year 200 AD a defensive wall was built around the city. For well over a millennium the shape and size of London was defined by this Roman wall. The area within the wall is now "the City", London's famous financial district. Traces of the wall can still be seen in a few places in London.

London continued its growth under the late Roman Empire, and at its peak the population probably numbered about 45,000. But, as the Roman Empire creaked its way to a tottering old age, the troops defending London's trade routes were recalled across the Channel, and the city went into a decline which lasted several centuries.

Click here for a map of Roman London

Next >> Anglo-Saxon London

English History
Also see " English History" and our award-winning " English Culture" section.

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The beginnings of London can be dated with some exactitude to the invasion of the Romans in 43AD. Prior to the Roman invasion there was no permanent settlement of significance on the site of London. Instead, the Thames River flowed through marshy ground sprinkled with small islands of gravel and sand.

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Researching the characteristics of gothic architecture? Well, the gothic style transformed castles, churches, cathedrals and pretty much the whole of Europe!

This form of architecture developed because of common architectural problems in Medieval times.

Back in the 1100s-1200s, building skills were extremely limited. Stone castles and cathedrals were rudimentary - dark, cold, and damp.

Gothic architecture tried to solve some of these unpleasant problems, and created light, pleasant and airy buildings. Before the gothic, architecture was functional. Now, architecture became beautiful.

This menacing gargoyle I discovered in Munich is a great example of gothic architecture. Why build a simple rain-gutter, when you could turn it into a monster?!

Some gothic buildings - particularly churches and cathedrals, such as York Minster, in York, England (the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe) - were rendered into awe-inspiring places of piety and worship, as a result of their phenomenal gothic design.

Many castles adopted some of the characteristics of gothic architecture, too. They became transformed from dank living environments into majestic, light and pleasant residences for the lords and ladies within.

One note: the term 'gothic architecture' is a retrospective term. Medieval people would never have used these words.

Back in Medieval times, this form of building was called 'the modern style'. (If you're interested, the history of gothic architecture is contained later in this article).

The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture

1. Grand, Tall Designs, Which Swept Upwards With Height and Grace

In the times before gothic architecture, Early Medieval architects struggled to spread the weight of heavy stone walls.

This meant that towers needed to be short and buildings thin. Otherwise, the sheer weight of the high floors would make the building collapse into itself.

One of the fundamental characteristics of gothic architecture was its height. New building techniques (such as the flying buttress, detailed below) enabled architects to spread the weight of taller walls and loftier towers.

This all meant that gothic buildings could, quite literally, scale new heights. It allowed them to reach up to the heavens - perfect for cathedrals and churches.

The cathedral pictured above is York Minster - one of the many attractions of York, UK.

You'll see that I've scattered photos of the Cologne Dom (Cathedral) throughout this page - see the pic just above. It's one of the most visited tourist attractions in Germany, and miraculously survived the bombings of World War II.

It's a phenomenal example of gothic architecture, exhibiting all seven characteristics of this amazing design style.

2. The Flying Buttress

The flying buttress is the defining external characteristic of gothic architecture. These buttresses act to spread the weight of the tall walls. They support the structure by transferring force directly to the ground.

The flying buttress was not just practical, though. It was also decorative.

Flying buttresses were often elaborately designed. They appeared to dart and sweep around each building, giving a sense of movement and of flight. They were often decorated with intricate carvings, giving a sense of grandeur and importance.

3. The Pointed Arch

The innovation of the pointed arch was another key characteristic of gothic architecture. Again, its significance was both practical and decorative.

The pointed arch is a sturdy little design. Its form distributed the force of heavier ceilings and bulky wall. It could support much more weight than previous, simple, spindly pillars.

The stronger arches allowed for much more vertical height, too - they literally reached up to the heavens.

The gothic arch wasn't just a workhorse. It had an aesthetic value and beauty which influenced many other features of gothic design - most notably the vaulted ceiling.

Malbork Castle, in Poland, has some excellent examples of pointed ceilings.

4. The Vaulted Ceiling

The vaulted ceiling was an innovation which lead on from the achievements of the pointed arch.

Irregular, vaulted ceilings utilised the technology of the pointed arch to spread force and weight from upper floors.

These sturdy supports allowed ceilings to be taller than before. (Although note that the ceiling height isn't uniform). This provided the impression of height, grandeur and elegance.

The distribution of force within the vaulted ceiling enabled vaults to be built in different shapes and sizes. Previously, vaults could only have been small, and circular or rectangular.

The picture above is again an example from Malbork Castle, in Poland.

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The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture: From the Gargoyle to the Flying Buttress - Exploring Castles

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Researching the characteristics of gothic architecture? Well, the gothic style transformed castles, churches, cathedrals and pretty much the whole of Europe! This form of architecture developed because of common architectural problems in Medieval times. Back in the 1100s-1200s, building skills were extremely limited. Stone castles and cathedrals were rudimentary - dark, cold, and damp.