Listed Buildings - Period Architecture

Royal Academy’s Somerset House by architectural advisor Sir William Chambers : Sculptural Installation by Marc Quinn

Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Houses:  A Guide to Period Architecture in Bath and London

By the very nature of our Interior Design practice, at WOOLF Interior Architecture & Design we truly value both the interior and exterior of both historic and more modern properties.  When we begin work on a project, we must first evaluate what is already in place before we can begin restoring / enhancing the interior.  It is important to understand how the dimensions of a room work best, how large are the windows and what perspective do they give you to the outside.  These questions ensure that the very best is made of each room in the property.  Most of the properties WOOLF work on are period or historic and date back to one of the Georgian/Regency, Victorian or Edwardian periods, many of them are Listed buildings.  In this journal we have a look at what design features stand out in each of these design periods; both in London and Bath.

Despite the 20th and 21st centuries witnessing the birth of Art Deco, Bauhaus, Modern, Brutalism, Hi-tech, Post-modern, Deconstructivism and even Blobitecture, a significant proportion of the architecture in London’s most prestigious neighbourhoods; including Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Kensington, Chelsea, Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia remain Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian in their form. Explore WOOLF Historic Projects.

Lansdown Crescent is a well-known example of Georgian architecture in Bath, Somerset, England, designed by John Palmer and constructed by a variety of builders between 1789 and 1793.

Georgian and Regency Architecture (1714-1830) 

Eponymous with the period when the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover reigned—George I, George II, George III, and George IV. The most famous Georgian house in London is probably 10 Downing Street, you may also be familiar with the expansive white painted mansions that line Regents’ Park, these are considered the finest examples of  Regency-Georgian architecture. 

From the outside these homes are identifiable for their generous, symmetrical proportions with high ceilings, flat or shallow roofs partially hidden behind a parapet, a stucco-faced external ground floor (Regency particularly), elongated rectangular windows and a fan window which is frequently positioned above the main entrance. Explore WOOLF Historic Projects.

The stucco-faced external ground floor and columns typical of Georgian-Regency architecture  - London

Georgian properties followed strict rules regarding the proportions of ceiling heights and roof pitches, as well as the size, shapes and positions of doors and window.   

Bath’s architecture follows a similar path and boasts some really lovely examples of houses from all three periods although it is predominantly Georgian Architecture that is famous for.  There are some fine examples of contemporary architecture styles in and around the city as well.

From a structural perspective much inspiration did stem from classicism in this period. This is observed by the use of classical orders (columns, proportions and symmetry). The most fashionable houses even had the interior walls panelled from floor to ceiling and divided horizontally into three parts in the same proportions as classicists defined their columns.

Georgian Interior section by Sir William Chambers

Walls were often painted in sky blues, lavenders, blossom pinks and pea greens because lighter shades helped to maintain the airy and elegant interiors. Darker, more expensive shades were usually applied to emphasise the skirting and coving. It was in the Georgian period when ceiling plasterwork reached the height of intricacy and elegance and this remains one of the giveaways today upon entering a genuine Georgian residence. 

In Bath the most stunning examples of Regency-Georgian properties can be found on The Royal Crescent.  Bath boasts several more smaller but impressive crescents including Lansdown Crescent, Somerset Place, Cavendish Crescent and Camden Crescent as well as The Circus and equally impressive Pulteney Street.  There are further impressive examples of Georgian houses in the Bathwick, Lyncombe and Widcombe areas of the city. 

In 1759 Chambers published A Treatise on Civil Architecture, an illustrated book which became the standard English treatise of the use of the Orders (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, etc.) and their decorations and cemented his position as a leading British architect.

Sir William Chambers was appointed as architectural tutor to the 19-year old Prince of Wales, later George III and also published a book Designs of Chinese Buildings, Furniture, Dresses, illustrated with his own detailed drawings from his time in the country.

Victorian Architecture (1837–1901) 

Ranging from 1837 to 1901 under the rule of Queen Victoria I, the Victorian period was a time of increased building of houses for the ever expanding middle class.  The majority of homes built before the Victorian period were owned by the gentry, or at least wealthy landowners, whereas wealth in the Victorian era was spread more across society in the wake of the Industrial Revolution and houses became less grand and more accessible. The resulting increase in house building explains why the Victorian period is often characterised by rows of terraced housing on narrow streets. 

The Bird Bath Hotel in Bath

 Whilst Victorian properties do often retain some of the classical features that the Georgians adopted (including columns and proportioning), the Victorian style is also heavily influenced by the Renaissance and Gothic Revival movement. A few of the ways you can identify a building as Victorian is by looking for some of these Gothic Revivalist features.  These include lancet (pointed) windows, porches, dormers, roof gables and pointed roofs that are sometimes decorated with a wooden trim that hangs from the edges. 

 Internally, high ceilings and large windows were a feature of Victorian homes, but the rest of the layout became a little bit cramped compared to previous Georgian designs, with a long and thin footprint. Often Victorian homes are one room wide, with a narrow hallway leading off into the different entertaining rooms, or two up, two down with just two rooms on each floor. 

 Victorian Mansion Houses, London

 In general, the exterior of a Victorian period property can be identified by the inclusion of bay sash windows, terracotta tiles, ornamental stonework and multi-coloured brickwork; often in red.  The interiors were often filled with decoration, dark fabrics such as red and green, wide mantelpieces to accommodate an array of ornaments, cast iron baths and walls typically decorated with floral wallpapers instead of paint, which was a new invention.  Victorian homes often come with steep pitched roofs that make them great candidates for period loft conversions. Bay sash windows, ornamental brickwork and pointed gables are typical of the Victorian era  Neighbourhoods which have typically Victorian property in prime central London include; Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Primrose Hill & Hampstead.  Bath has a smaller selection of Victorian Properties but there are some lovely examples in the Bear Flat and Oldfield Park areas of the city. Explore WOOLF’s Victorian Projects.

Lansdown Road, London

 Edwardian Architecture (1901 to 1918) 

 Extending beyond the reign of King Edward VII, the Edwardian era of architecture was a period of revivalism influenced especially by the Baroque, Georgian and the Arts and Crafts movements. These movements promoted a more simple design and an appreciation for the handmade in retaliation to the mass production of items experienced in the Victorian Era. The context for the period was a rapidly increasing population and completion of new railway links which gave rise to the ‘garden suburbs’; Hampstead in London is one such area.

By choosing to live in the suburbs, the Edwardian’s were able to build their homes often on larger, leafier plots of land. Edwardian homes tend to be shorter than the equivalent Victorian residence, partly because the middle classes who lived in these homes had less of a need for servants, unlike the Georgian and the Victorian generations before them. Gone were the cellars and the second floors, and in came more squat buildings which were wider and roomier, had much larger hallways, more windows and beautiful spacious gardens. 

It is common for an Edwardian property to have a front garden and be set back from the pavement, as there was an ever-increasing desire for privacy at that time. Living rooms would sometimes have windows at both ends, covered by a small sloping roof on the outside.  The eclectic mix of influences means from the exterior Edwardian homes might be identified by: Dutch gables, deep bay windows, sash windows, pilasters and the trends that saw the property exterior half-clad in timber or windows sub-divided into smaller square panes in order to create an aesthetic appeal. 

 Edwardian architecture flourished in the leafy suburbs, its exterior characterised by partial timber cladding, pilasters and sub-divided smaller window panes  The Edwardian interior was simpler than a typical Victorian home.

As the world transitioned from oil and gas lamps to electric light, walls could be lighter as they did not get so dirty and looked better in the brighter light. Decorative patterns were less complex, both wallpaper and curtain designs were plainer.

The placement of flowers too became a feature of the home, complementing the floral fabrics and wallpapers used in the interior. The Edwardian period came to an abrupt end with the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. 

The majority of Edwardian homes are more likely to be found today in London’s garden suburbs such as Hampstead Heath, Dulwich, Blackheath and Richmond. Edwardian properties in Bath can be found slightly further out from the city, look in the Wellsway and Englishcombe Lane areas.  Explore WOOLF’s Edwardian Projects.