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Gifts from Edward III (reigned 1327-77) made it possible to remodel the old Romanesque Benedictine abbey church. Work began shortly after 1330 in the south transept. A new architectural style. the Perpendicular Style, was born here, perfected by Thomas of Canterbury (active 1323-1335) and his successors. The remodeled choir was completed by 1360.
The Benedictines of Gloucester wanted to retain their old building as far as possible. The master mason satisfied this condition by decorating the central nave walls with a veneer of lattice work of vertical and horizontal lines behind which the old side aisles and galleries were concealed. The basic motif is the "panel," a narrow, elongated rectangle of tracery at the top of which a small cusped arch is enclosed. The orderly structure can be seen clearly in the monumental east window.
The photo shows the choir, looking east towards the presbytery.
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