Terraced Houses in Leicester

Streets

In the 1800s streets only needed to be wide enough for a horse and cart. They might be paved with granite setts, and lighting was by gas lights bracketed to the sides of houses. In 1859 the Leicester Board of Health stated that the height of new buildings should not exceed the width of the streets.
	The two black and white photos are from the Mill Lane area of Leicester, which was developed in the 1850s (and had probably changed little when the photos were taken in the 1950s). Compare the width of the streets with Frederick Road, 1870s, below.
It isn't often in Leicester that a street draws attention to, or frames in anyway, another feature. In one of the city's better views, Frederick Road rises to St Saviours' Church.
	On the Mere Road ridge to the south east of the city, Hartington Road displays a dramatic sweep of rooftops. Nearby, a junction of five streets provides a busy focal point to the area.
In the Highfields area, as space to build new houses was running out in the 1880s, small avenues were tucked in behind other streets. These are cul-de-sacs where both rows of houses face a central path.
	It isn't nearly as common as it used to be to see a pub in a terrace of houses like the George and Dragon (left), pictured in the 1950s. There are still plenty of shop fronts though, and while there is no longer a 'factory at the end of each street', there are still quite a few to be seen.

Home

Background

Developments

Streets

Variations on the front

• Roofs

• Eaves

• Plaques

• Brick/stone bands

• Lintels

• Windows

• Doors

• Boot scrapers

At the back

Further Reading