THE HISTORY OF YOUR HOME
EARLY TO MID GEORGIAN 1714-1800
The early Georgian period saw the country transform from a rural economy to the beginnings of an industrial one. After the 1666 Great Fire of London, a number of building acts introduced guidelines on the use of materials, room sizes and height, along with four grades of house – and so the ubiquitous Georgian terraced house with sash windows was born. The late 18th century would also see the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and the associated mass migration to large cities had an impact on the number of houses available.
In a large terraced house, the basement was used for the kitchen and scullery, while on the ground floor was the dining room and other private family rooms. The principal rooms could be found on the first floor, with taller windows and higher ceilings – known as the piano nobile (‘noble floor’). These were intended to be shown off to guests, so they would be finely decorated.
In smaller urban homes, the main rooms were entered on the ground floor, with a parlour at the front and a kitchen and scullery at the rear. There were no internal toilets or bathroom – the privy was sited in the yard.
