English Baroque, as in many other Protestant countries, belongs to the mainstream of classical, inspired by classical art and architecture of Palladio and Vignoli. British historians used to divide and name the changing architectural styles differently to the ones on the continent. In their view, up to half of the eighteenth century is one of the late Renaissance and not Baroque.
The transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque had a very mild form. Works of the late Renaissance and Baroque were characterized by severe, dense solid with symmetric, structured facades. Only the detail reveals that it is a different era. Crowning domes, attics, border portals, dormers, cartouches and medallions feature a bit more sculpting, creative form. Despite this exception is the southern portal of the project spiral shafts of columns. Portal designed by Nicholas Stone was added in 1637, the university church of St. Mary in Oxford.
