Hand: Main Hand, Canterbury Chart. Ant. S.458 (formerly Schøyen MS 600)

Stokes, English Vernacular Script, ca 990–ca 1035, Vol. 2 (PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2006)

The script retains elements of Phase-V Square minuscule, including the heaviness and the squarish bodies, tall-e ligatures, and other letter-forms. Ascenders and descenders are not especially long, although ð is very prominent, and the cue-height is somewhat irregular. Ascenders have smallish wedges which tend towards forks, and descenders taper somewhat or turn slightly left. Minims have moderately prominent approach-strokes and small rising ticks for feet. Flat-topped a is found, though sometimes rounded. The a-component in æ can also be flat-topped or more rounded, but the lower curve can be diagonal creating a point on the left much like S.890-1 and S.1492-1, and a similar form is also found in c and e. A low ligature was frequently used with æ and e before a following letter, although one example of bulging tall æ (þæs, line 3) and one of bulging tall e (æfter, line 3) are also found. In both tall ligatures the head stroke ends in a point, barely touching the top of the following descender. The laid-back form of e gives it a sharp point on the left but it can also be fully horned, the tongue can be bent downwards if the letter is in final position, and the lower curve can meet the tongue beyond the hook as is common in Phase-V Square minuscule. The back of d is short, concave-down, nearly bilinear, and often touches the preceding letter. The tongue of f is long and straight. The tail of g is closed in a round and fairly small loop, and the mid-section is moderately straight and hangs from left of centre. The shoulders of m, n, and r are relatively angular and start below cue-height, being structured like minims with rising approach-strokes. The downward strokes of m and n are usually quite vertical, but that of r can turn back to the left. Long, low and round s are found. Round s appears in final position only, low s can also be final, and long s is never final but was always used before decenders. The scribe seems to have made no distinction between þ and ð. The loop on þ can be very compressed vertically. The back of ð is long and thick, rising at 45–60°, but is slightly concave down and bends leftward at the tip; the cross-stroke is approximately bisected by the back and is ticked up on the left and down on the right. Straight-limbed and round forms of y are both found and are both dotted. The top of 7 is concave up and rising, and the descender is long, straight, and tapering.