Mouldings as used in the medieval period can be described as contours applied to the salient parts of a building to give emphasis through light and shade.

It is significant that Robert Willis, whose writings set an unsurpassed standard for art historians, opened his important book on architectural nomenclature with a chapter on moulding terms, analysing William Worcestre’s drawing and its accompanying description. Willis used moulding data as long ago as 1845 to distinguish successive phases of building work in the nave of Winchester cathedral. The moulding surveys published soon after by the architect Edmund Sharpe proved exemplary both in quality of draughtsmanship and methodical approach. In the twentieth century W. R. Lethaby, aware of the value of moulding analysis, laid the foundation for recognizing individual styles in his two books on Westminster Abbey. He directly influenced Mr John Harvey, who collected the dated mouldings of one master mason, Henry Yeveley, and his associates, thus giving new direction to architectural studies. ‘Every historian of art who is concerned with Gothic’, wrote the late Paul Frankl in i960, ‘makes a note of the profiles.’