During the Paley and Austin partnership, the architectural styles used by the practice changed and developed. In church architecture, Paley had already started to introduce Perpendicular features in some of his designs, and this trend was to continue and increase after the arrival of Austin. Throughout their partnership, the designs for churches were mainly in Gothic Revival style. After the arrival of Austin, there was much greater use of Perpendicular features. Brandwood et al. see the practice as national pioneers in this trend, saying "the firm can be seen as a true pioneer in the rehabilitation of Perpendicular architecture after its ecclesiological exile for a quarter of a century". Early examples of what the authors consider to be part of what they call "the Perpendicular revival in the North" are the rebuilding of the bodies of St Mary, Leigh, (1871–73) and All Saints, Daresbury (1870–72). The Perpendicular "would become the stock-in-trade style for some of the most admired buildings as the years rolled on". However they did continue to use features from the Early English and Decorated styles, sometimes together in the same church, as in New St Leonard, Langho. Away from the Gothic Revival style, Norman or Norman transitional features were occasionally used, as in St Mary, Betws-y-Coed (1872–73), and St Peter, Finsthwaite (1873–74).
