Gothic church in England versus the Gothic church in France

M.   French and Gothic churches primarily differed in their opposing emphasis on verticality and horizontality respectively. French churches in this era had an inclination towards height as epitomized by cathedrals such as Beauvais, which has nave vaults rising to approximately 160 feet from the ground. The architectural features of these churches served as an additional visual extension and embellishment of the cathedrals’ literal height with vault shafts employed to create the effect of an unbroken vertical line (Morganstern, A. M. Consequently, this creates “independent” layers, which further accentuate the interior length (Morganstern, A. M.   The differing emphases on verticality versus horizontality also created a distinction in how buttressing was used. Because of their height, French cathedrals necessitated buttressing as a form of extraneous support with this buttressing visibly evident on the exterior.