Plate tracery

Description

Plate tracery is the earliest form of tracery – decorative shapes are cut through the solid masonry above a window.  It was introduced from around 1220.

As we have found no examples in or around Canterbury, we show here a drawing of windows that originally formed part of the Archbishop’s Palace in the Canterbury precincts (built around 1220).

In Kent, vestiges of plate tracery work survive at Stone church (near Dartford) and in Ickham parish church 4.5 miles east of the cathedral.

Source: Buildings of England, Kent North East and East by John Newman (Yale University Press, 2nd edition 2013) p 36

Local example

plate tracery formerly in Archbishop’s Palace Canterbury