31 March, 2023
According to Historic England, over a quarter of the British population live in Victorian homes*. It’s little surprise considering the reign of Queen Victoria saw the biggest building boom in UK history with more than six million houses built between 1837 and 1901, the majority of which still stand today.
Queen Victoria reigned for almost 64 years, longer than any previous monarch and was eclipsed only by Queen Elizabeth II. She was the first sovereign to take up residence at Buckingham Palace. During her reign, which ended in 1901, Britain experienced huge economic, political and societal change driven by the Industrial Revolution. This resulted in a shift from an agrarian to a manufacturing economy, leading to increased production and efficiency, lower prices, improved wages and migration from rural to urban areas.
According to The National Archive, at the start of the 19th century about 20% of Britain's population lived in London, but by 1851 half the country’s population lived in the Capital.** It was at this time that the terrace house – or the Victorian terrace, as we now call it – became the archetypal dwelling for families living in the city and emerged as a sanctuary from arduous working life.
Known for its durability, thanks to the high quality of materials such as brick, stone and cast iron used in its construction, Victorian architecture has stood the test of time. Victorian buildings often feature high ceilings and large windows, which create that bright and spacious feel that is highly sought after in homes today, yet their unique character features make them stand out from a new build style of home. Victorian homes also lend themselves beautifully to modern day living with many being transformed over the years to suit contemporary living with big open plan kitchens.
