Victorian houses are amongst the most popular and easily-recognisable period properties on the market today. But how did many areas in England and Wales come to feature the iconic brick-built houses that were constructed during the reign of Queen Victoria?

Census data reveals that between 1831 and 1901, the population of England & Wales increased from 13.89 million to 32.51 million, a dramatic rise of 134 per cent. As the population increased in size, builders sought to respond to a demand by the wealthy middle classes looking to move to larger houses away from cramped, back to back terraces characteristic in industrial areas. In London, some of the city’s most iconic stucco-fronted houses were built as a result, and in today’s market they are still highly desired. According to the latest Savills prime London index, Victorian properties command a 5% premium above the average £ per square ft value at £1,340.

Housebuilding records only exist from 1856, but by the end of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1901, 4.28 million houses had been built to accommodate the increase in population. At its peak in 1898/1899 some 162,000 houses were being delivered to the market each year, whilst the abolition of the window and brick taxes allowed builders to be more cost effective. This resulted in an increase in the number of taller houses with large typical bay windows that we so often see in today’s towns and cities.