Looking at Buildings

Glossary

Waterholding base: Early Gothic base with upper and lower mouldings separated by a deep hollow.
Waterleaf: A broad tapering leaf shape that turns over at the top, used especially on late 12th-century capitals (hence waterleaf capital) and some classical mouldings.
Water wheels: Described by the way water is fed on to the wheel; see breastshot, overshot, pitchback, undershot. In a water turbine, water is fed under pressure through a vaned wheel within a casing.
Wealden house: Type of medieval timber-framed house common in Kent and Sussex, with a central open hall flanked by bays of two storeys, roofed in line; the end bays are jettied to the front, but the eaves are continuous.
Weatherboarding: Wall cladding of overlapping horizontal boards; called clapboarding in North America.
Weathering: Inclined, projecting surface to keep water away from the wall below. Also called set-off.
Weepers: Mourning figures in niches along the sides of some medieval tombs.
Well stair: With flights round a square open well framed by newel posts.
Wheel house: (Scots): Late Iron Age stone dwelling, round with partition walls like wheel spokes.
Wheel window: A circular window with radiating shafts like spokes. Compare rose window.