From Thrones to Thresholds…

The importance of understanding how monarchical, political and military history has shaped British architecture and the modern housing market is often undervalued. As someone passionate about both property and history, I feel well placed to help homeowners and selling agents understand how the period of a property has shaped and will continue to shape the dynamics of the homes we own, buy and sell.

Most adults in the UK know that a Victorian house relates to Queen Victoria. Yet when asked about the Regency, Georgian or Elizabethan periods, the lines quickly blur. It can also be difficult to appreciate how world wars influenced property, even though the First and Second World Wars had one of the most profound impacts on housing volume, style and standards in the entire 20th century.

Elizabethan Foundations

When discussing architectural history, it would be amiss to overlook the Elizabethan period, during which grand properties such as Charterhouse, Hatfield House and Longleat were constructed many of which still stand proudly today.
The “Golden Age” of Elizabeth I (1558–1603), often celebrated for naval triumph over Spain and a surge in national pride, produced distinctive timber-framed houses that heavily influenced revival styles over 200 years later.

Fire, Plague and the 17th-Century Rebuild

London’s modern architectural journey begins in the mid-17th century. The plague of 1665 killed around 75,000 Londoners, and the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed roughly 13,000 houses (about 15% of the city) and 87 churches, remarkably with very few recorded deaths. Charles II, the “Merry Monarch,” was reigning at the time.

Before the fire, most houses were timber framed (often oak) with wattle and daub infill. Despite common belief, thatched roofs were banned from London after 1212, so they did not contribute to the spread of the 1666 fire.

London’s population grew explosively, from about 200,000–250,000 in 1600 to over half a million by 1700, becoming Europe’s largest and most influential city. Yet sewage and water systems throughout British towns remained crude. Filthy rivers and poor sanitation contributed to high child mortality rates and an average male life expectancy of roughly 40 years in the early 1700s.

The 1600s were marked by severe political disruption the Civil War, the execution of Charles I in 1649 (not 1849), the Commonwealth period, and strong religious division all constraining economic and architectural progression.

Queen Anne and the Birth of a New Britain

Queen Anne ruled from 1702 to 1714. Her reign, though short, was transformative:

– The Acts of Union (1707) created the Kingdom of Great Britain.
– Britain prevailed in the War of the Spanish Succession.
– Party politics (Whigs and Tories) became more established.

Anne had no surviving children, and the crown passed to her relative George I, beginning the Hanoverian dynasty.

The “Queen Anne style” of architecture, however, is a 19th-century revival (c. 1870–1910), characterised by red brick, ornate gables and eclectic features rather than a style built during Anne’s actual reign.

The Georgian Era (1714–1830)

Four successive kings named George ruled for 116 years. Despite political dissatisfaction, heavy taxes and costly wars, the era produced Britain’s most recognisable architectural style. Georgian homes are typically symmetrical, with centred entrances, sash windows (often smaller on upper floors), high ceilings, decorative coving and elegant fireplaces. In London, properties were commonly built around garden squares for the aristocracy. Rooflines tended to be low or hidden with parapets, and front door fanlights became key features.

The most significant building boom occurred during George III's reign (1760–1820), coinciding with the Industrial and Agricultural Revolutions and events such as American independence.

The Regency Period (c. 1811–1837)

Though George IV formally became king in 1820, he acted as Prince Regent from 1811 due to George III’s mental illness. In broader architectural terms, the “Regency style” is often applied from about 1811 to the 1830s. This was a period of artistic flourish and national confidence following Britain’s victory in the Napoleonic Wars (Battle of Waterloo, 1815). The abolition of the slave trade occurred in 1807.

Regency architecture is typified by white stucco facades, classical columns, balustrades and ornate ironwork. Landmark examples include the Nash terraces around Regent’s Park (Cumberland Terrace, Park Crescent), St James’s Square, and Apsley House at Hyde Park Corner.

George IV died without legitimate issue, and the throne passed to his brother William IV. William’s reign was short (1830–1837) but significant: he oversaw the 1832 Reform Act and the abolition of slavery across the British Empire (1833). He was succeeded by his niece, Queen Victoria, the last Hanoverian monarch.

Victorian Britain (1837–1901)

Queen Victoria’s 64-year reign saw immense industrial, scientific and urban growth. At Britain’s imperial height, over a third of the world’s landmass was under British rule. Victorian houses were built on a huge scale, especially for workers moving into industrial towns and cities. Early Victorian terraces often lacked internal bathrooms, relying on tin baths and outside WCs. Features included narrow hallways, steep staircases, sash windows, quarry-tiled kitchens and suspended timber floors.

Urban sanitation was poor until the mid-19th century. The cholera epidemics and the Great Stink (1858) prompted massive public health reforms, including Bazalgette’s revolutionary sewer system and the development of the early London Underground.

By the 1860s–1890s, Britain’s rising middle class spurred a boom in larger semi-detached homes, especially in London’s growing suburbs.

The Edwardian Period (1901–1910)

Edward VII presided over a confident, outward-looking era. British industry was still dominant, though Germany and the United States were rapidly rising. Socialism and political unrest across Europe, particularly in Russia, were shaping the coming decades.

Edwardian houses remain some of the most admired period homes: wide hallways, front gardens, large windows, ornate timber porches, stained-glass fanlights, generous rooms and influences from Art Nouveau and the Arts & Crafts movement. Although the period lasted only nine years, its architectural legacy is disproportionately significant.

George V, World War I and the Interwar Home (1910–1936)

George V led Britain through WWI. The war erupted after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June 1914, triggering a chain of alliances. Nearly 2 million British and Commonwealth lives were lost, and London suffered Zeppelin raids that destroyed hundreds of homes. Anti-German sentiment led Britain’s royal family to change its name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917.

The 1920s and 1930s saw rapid growth of suburban rail networks and mass-produced mortgage-financed housing. The 1930s alone saw approximately 1.8 million homes built – the biggest house-building decade in British history.

Typical 1930s houses featured three bedrooms, two reception rooms, bay windows, gable-fronted façades (often faux-Tudor), garages and generous gardens perfect for a growing middle class.

World War II and Post-War Britain

George V died in 1936. His son briefly became Edward VIII, but abdicated that same year. His brother became George VI, leading Britain through WWII.

German bombing destroyed around 70,000 London homes, and around 400,000 British people (not specifically “working-age men”) died during the war. Post-war Britain faced a severe housing shortage and workforce depletion.

The state responded with prefabricated “prefabs” and extensive council housing throughout the 1950s. This explains why many London districts with elegant Georgian or Victorian streets suddenly feature 1950s estates these mark former bomb sites.

A short-lived revival of symmetrical, classically influenced homes (“Neo-Georgian”) appeared in the late 1950s.
By the late 1970s and 1980s, rapid housing booms often produced lower-quality construction, though building regulations improved significantly toward the end of the century.

Borrowed Heritage in New Builds

Many new-build homes today borrow aesthetic cues from earlier periods: Georgian symmetry, Tudor gables, Edwardian porches, Victorian fireplaces and sash-style windows. Britain’s architectural story continues to evolve, layered with references to the eras that shaped it.

Understanding how Britain’s monarchy, military history and economic cycles have influenced housebuilding is not simply an academic exercise; it is essential to truly grasp the dynamics of London’s property landscape. Every façade, floorplan and streetscape carries the imprint of past rulers, wars, reforms and periods of prosperity or hardship. When we appreciate these forces, we see homes not just as bricks and mortar, but as a physical record of our evolution. This perspective empowers homeowners, buyers and agents alike to value properties more accurately, understand their behaviours in the market and make decisions grounded in historical insight rather than assumption.

To understand property in London and Surrey, we need to understand the history that created it and we can then unlock the true story behind the walls we live in.

Julian Peak

8th December 2025