Address to the Historical Section of the Annual Meeting of the Institute Held at Cardiff

An investigation of almost all recognized Anglo-Saxon churches has been undertaken to scrutinize carefully their quoins, pilaster strips and arch jambs, where these are readily visible for detailed study from ground level. The geological orientations within the stones in these structures have been recorded where they are clearly discernible. The stones, irrespective of their size and shape, display in all visible instances distinct patterns and styles of Anglo-Saxon construction. A simple nomenclature is proposed to identify the bedding orientations of the stones. These patterns of stone orientation, particularly when applied together with an understanding of the different rock lithologies, can be used to enable the structural portions of Anglo-Saxon church buildings to be identified with greater precision.