The Georgian era (1714-1837) not only marked a change in the ruling family on the British throne but also a period of rapid change in the built landscape.

The impact of the Industrial Revolution and influences of the Grand Tours of Europe undertaken by the gentry manifested themselves in the architectural styles of a new building boom. During this period there was a rise in the merchant class, with Oxford Street in London reportedly having 150 shops by the start of the 19th century.

Napoleon is often quoted as describing England as a nation of shopkeepers. Although variations of this phrase were in parlance throughout the 18th century, and although Britain had a long-established history of trade, the Georgians saw construction commence that altered the streetscape of our towns and cities. 

Georgians in search of retail therapy could head to what we now know as a department store, the model for which was established in 1796 with the opening of the draper Harding, Howell and Company at No. 89 Pall Mall, St James’s. And it was during the Regency period that the shopping complex or ‘centre’ started to become fashionable, with the development of several buildings, including The Burlington Arcade (1819) and the Pantheon Bazaar (1833-34), also in London. 

The development of Regent Street by 1825 had created a fashionable shopping area with terraces of shops at ground floor level and bachelor rooms above, all designed by John Nash. These were later replaced in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. 

We can also credit the Georgians with giving us a greater variety of retailers, responding to ever-increasing consumer demands – the first sweet shop in the UK was opened in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire in 1827.

Some of the earliest building and townscape legislation was introduced during the Georgian period, consolidating earlier Parliamentary Acts, which started to bring in further controls on design and construction in London. 

The Building Act of 1774 placed buildings into classes or “rates” and predominantly focused on fire safety, a hangover of the Great Fire of London of 1666, with a mandate for building surveyors to inspect new buildings to ensure rules and regulations were applied. 

This Act is the leading reason many Georgian houses, squares and terraces look like they do. In addition, the popularity of the Grand Tour saw the adoption of classical elements of scale and design to reflect newly acquired knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome. Nowhere is this more evident than in the crescents and circuses of Bath, a Georgian spa town with Roman origins that the Georgians took to for its purported health benefits.

It was also during the Georgian era that we see the rise of larger scale speculative development, with some of the earlier mansion houses and market gardens making way for rows of formal terraced houses, crescents and squares that adopted a uniform aesthetic. 

Next time you stop to admire a front door complete with classical columns – or hang out at the mall – you’ll be walking in the footsteps of the Georgians. 

Further information

Contact Darren Collings