Holland Park Living
The Great Fire of London
After the Fire of London in 1666, the Rebuilding Act of 1667 was passed to impose fire regulations and building standards for new London houses. To reduce fire risk, the use of timber in new houses was severely limited. No wood could be placed within one foot of the front of a chimney. Timber was banned inside walls round chimney flues. The flues serving the fireplaces were required to be placed inside party walls, back to back with the fireplace of the next house, to save space.
Permitted house types
There were to be four permitted house types: from two storey houses to “houses of the greatest bigness”. In the better type of houses - houses which fronted streets as opposed to slum alleys - the lower floors had to be 10 feet high, and the upper floors 9 feet high. Cellars and garrets had to be 6½ feet high. No house could be built less than 14 feet in width. The most expensive terraced properties could be up to 30 feet wide. Large detached houses for the most wealthy could be much larger.
Balconies
Better quality houses were required to have an external balcony at the first floor level as a kind of fire escape.
External wood prohibited
In 1707, fire precautions were strengthened by banning external wooden cornices, and in 1709 the boxes for sash windows had to be recessed at least 4 inches from the outer face of the wall. The 1774 Act introduced more detailed restrictions on window frames, timber work and cornices, as a further protection against the risk of fire. No house was allowed to feature any woodwork on the exterior except where strictly necessary for doors or windows; and window frames had to be recessed behind masonry.
