High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The larger medieval churches of France and England, the cathedrals and abbeys, have much in common architecturally, an east/west orientation, an external emphasis on the west front and its doors, long arcaded interiors, high vaulted roofs and windows filled with stained glass. The eastern end of the building contains the Sanctuary and the Altar. The part of the cathedral that shows the greatest diversity and the greatest change is the eastern end. This Article deals with the way the eastern end changed in English and Western European cathedrals from the middle of the 11th century to the close of the 14th century.