ABSTRACT
Conrad's glorious choir, the church of the blessed Anselm and of St Thomas was consumed. The story of the fire and the subsequent rebuilding, as told by Gervase, is full of mediaeval hyperbole, gross exaggeration and biblical parallels, but it also exhibits an unusual and keen understanding of the process of building. The choir of William of Sens is the earliest surviving Gothic building in England and was by far the most significant influence over the dissemination of that style throughout the southern half of the country. According to Gervase, the northern and southern sides of the choir proceeded at the same pace, but this was evidently not so. The southern side was plainly in advance of the northern flank by the time the high vault supports were commenced.
