The lancet, a pointed arch, was the most crucial development of the Early English Gothic period (c. 1180 - 1250), resulting in graceful buildings with thinner walls and more light.
The Decorated Gothic Period (c. 1250-1350) is subdivided into the earlier Geometric Period and later Curvilinear Period, differentiated by styles of window tracery.
Known for emphasizing vertical lines, the austerity of the Perpendicular Gothic Period was a response to the pandemic Black Death, which emerged in England in 1348.