Many ancient
standing stone monuments were erected during the prehistoric period, amongst the best known are
Stonehenge,
Devil's Arrows,
Rudston Monolith and
Castlerigg. With the introduction of
Ancient Roman architecture there was a development of
basilicas,
baths,
amphitheatres,
triumphal arches,
villas,
Roman temples,
Roman roads,
Roman forts,
stockades and
aqueducts. It was the Romans who founded the first cities and towns such as London, Bath, York, Chester and St Albans. Perhaps the best known example is
Hadrian's Wall stretching right across northern England. to
Early Christian basilica and architecture characterised by pilaster-strips, blank arcading, baluster shafts and triangular headed openings. After the Norman conquest in 1066 various
Castles in England were created so law lords could uphold their authority and in the north to protect from invasion. Some of the best known medieval castles include the
Tower of London,
Warwick Castle,
Durham Castle and
Windsor Castle amongst others. Expanding on the
Norman base there was also
castles,
palaces,
great houses,
universities and
parish churches. Medieval architecture was completed with the 16th century
Tudor style; the four-centred arch, now known as the
Tudor arch, was a defining feature as were
wattle and daub houses domestically. In the aftermath of the
Renaissance, the
English Baroque style appeared, which architect
Christopher Wren particularly championed. English Baroque is a casual term. It is sometimes used to refer to the developments in
English architecture, that were parallel to the evolution of
Baroque architecture in continental Europe, between the
Great Fire of London (1666) and the
Treaty of Utrecht (1713).
Queen Anne Style architecture flourished in England from about 1660 to about 1720, even though the Queen's reign covered only the period 1702–1714. Buildings in the Queen Anne style are strongly influenced by Dutch domestic architecture: typically, they are simple rectilinear designs in red brick, with an undemonstrative charm.
Georgian architecture followed in a more refined style, evoking a simple Palladian form; the
Royal Crescent at
Bath is one of the best examples of this. With the emergence of
romanticism during Victorian period, a
Gothic Revival was launched—in addition to this around the same time the Industrial Revolution paved the way for buildings such as
The Crystal Palace. Since the 1930s various
modernist forms have appeared whose reception is often controversial, though traditionalist resistance movements continue with support in influential places. ==Northern Ireland==