The Decorated Style - England's most lavish Architecture of the Gothic period



Overview

The glorious richness of the Decorated can be seen in our medieval cathedrals, abbeys and parish churches, where superb skills in stone carving, the elaboration of window tracery and vaulting, the construction of stone spires, and the sheer exuberance in variety of form are all on display. To bring this out we will include case studies of the cathedrals of Wells, Exeter and Ely, where work of the Decorated period transformed interiors into spaces of extraordinary magnificence.

The character of the Decorated style later took its place in the architecture of the 1800s, with many designers choosing its particular forms for their works in the Gothic style. Augustus Pugin described his parish church of St Giles in Staffordshire as “my perfect Cheadle”, and we can see in it today the medieval colour and rich decorative form he believed the original work to possess. 

The course will combine presentations based on a wealth of images and drawings with group discussions, particularly in the case studies, backed up by illustrated notes for each meeting.

This is a standalone course, but students who attended the the English Perpendicular Style from January 2024 may find this of particular interest.

 

Programme details

Course starts: 21 Jan 2026

Week 1: Origins of the Decorated Style

Week 2: Development of the Decorated - Geometrical to Curvilinear

Week 3: Window Tracery emerging in all its glory

Week 4: Rib vaults taking ever more complex forms

Week 5: Case Study - Exeter Cathedral 

Week 6: Case Study - Wells Cathedral

Week 7: Case Study - Ely Cathedral

Week 8: Decorated Style in the medieval English Parish Church - spires and windows

Week 9: Transition from Decorated to Perpendicular - the 1330s

Week 10: Revival styles of the 1800s - Pugin's love of the Decorated Style

Certification

Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) Points

Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. Please follow this link for more information on Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) points

Digital Certificate of Completion 

Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Please note students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee (with no assessment) £300.00
Assessment and Accreditation fee £60.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Mr Keith Hasted

Keith's initial research focus was in Italian Renaissance palace architecture, and he has since developed a special interest in the architecture of cathedrals, not only in England but also in mainland Europe. He teaches courses in architectural history for the Oxford University Continuing Education weekly programme and Summer School.

Course aims

  • To enable course members to investigate the breadth and significance of this architectural style in England.
  • To explore the possible origins, and forms in development of the style over the medieval period around 1300.
  • To examine the work of architects in the 1800s leading the Gothic Revival in England, and understand the influence of the Decorated on their designs.  

Teaching methods

  • Presentations with a wealth of visual images
  • Weekly classroom discussions includimg sessions on the case studies in weeks 5-7.
  • Illustrated notes provided each week

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to be able to

  • appreciate the development of the Decorated style over its medieval and revival periods 
  • be able to recognise the key architectural features by which the style can be identified
  • to appreciate the impact of this distinctively English style of Gothic architecture     

Assessment methods

Course members are invited to prepare an assignment as a short essay of no more than 1500 words. Alternatively a small number of shorter pieces of equivalent length in total can be prepared. For the first of these options, students will also have the opportunity to submit a formative assignment of 500 words during the course.

Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation will submit coursework.

Application

To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education

Students who do not register for assessment and credit during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support