AN INVESTIGATION OF THE LIGHT-TRANSMITTING PROPERTIES OF EARLY MEDIEVAL SPLAYED WINDOWS

There is some evidence that early medieval single-light splayed windows were specifically designed for maximum optical efficiency. Some factors affecting the design of an individual window are examined from three points of view: (1) a brief theoretical consideration of the crude effects of size and angle of splay; (2) an abbreviated account of an analysis of the characteristics of actual windows surviving from the Anglo-Saxon period; (3) an account of an experiment to determine by means of a scale apparatus the relative effects of window size, angle and type of splay, and surface finish of the fabric.