Belgravia Living
Belgravia houses
Click one of these topics relating to Belgravia houses.
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How Belgravia houses have changedMany of Belgravia houses today were originally stables. This is the case with all original mews houses which were built in streets behind the real Belgravia houses. The Victorians would recognise the facades of Belgravia houses today, but be amazed by the change in use behind, since most original Belgravia houses have now been converted into flats. |
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Growth in size of Belgravia housesThe Georgians built relatively small Belgravia houses. These have generally remained in use as family houses today. Throughout the Victorian period Belgravia houses became ever larger, to accommodate large families and the necessary servants. Frequently Belgravia houses might contain a family with 9 children and 10 or more servants. Many Belgravia houses have been converted to use as embassies. When you go to an embassy and consider the number of people working there, it is amazing to think that it was considered the right size as a Belgravia house for just one family in Victorian times. |
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Social reasons for house designBelgravia houses were built for discrimination. Belgravia houses were often built with 2 staircases: one grand staircase at the front for the family and a smaller one at the rear for servants to reach their quarters at the top of the house. Equally the main entrance to Belgravia houses was up steps to a grand main door. The servants and tradesmen had to use the steps down to a semi-basement door leading to the kitchen.
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Different ground levelsIn most streets the Belgravia houses are at different ground levels at front and back. When the area was developed, many streets were built up above ground level at the front of Belgravia houses with steps running down from street level to a semi-basement level. But the semi-basements of Belgravia houses are at genuine ground level – you walk straight out of the back into the gardens. |
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Brick faced buildingsBelgravia houses in Georgian times usually had brick facades. The compulsory use of bricks instead of wood was introduced after the Great Fire of London. Bricks for Belgravia houses were generally made on site. Even when Belgravia houses are faced in plaster and painted - as with many squares - the structure behind is made of brick, but of a cheaper quality.
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Stucco and painted facadesInfluenced by the Italian style, the Victorians started covering their Belgravia houses with stucco, which they then painted. The use of white or cream in Belgravia houses which you see all over Central London, was a much later tradition. They scored the plaster or rusticated it, to make it look like painted blocks of stone. Most of the ornamental carving above doors and windows and on the cornices of Belgravia houses is, in fact, moulded from forms of stone plaster. |
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Building regulations for Belgravia housesThere were rigorous rules about how far wood frames had to be recessed in the brickwork of Belgravia houses and the use and size of balconies. Generally there had to be metal balconies outside first floor windows as an escape for fire purposes. This, as much as architectural taste, created the look of Belgravia houses. |
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Belgravia houses todayThere are three general categories of Belgravia houses today. Most mews have been converted to Belgravia houses. (See 'How Belgravia houses have changed' above.) Then there have been new properties built, usually mimicking mews houses to some extent. Often these are private 'gated' developments. Both these types provide Belgravia houses of a size suitable for today's small families. Finally there are some original Victorian Belgravia houses, which are likely to be fairly enormous and therefore most suitable to a Middle Eastern prince or a Russian billionaire. Such Belgravia houses have survived as houses till the 21st century precisely because they were always the grandest houses from the start. |
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Freehold and leasehold Belgravia housesIn most of England, if you own a house you generally own the freehold. But Belgravia houses are often sold on leases, especially if they are within one of the traditional London estates. Belgravia house on leases are not worth as much as identical freehold houses, so it is usually worthwhile to consider whether the lease can be extended or whether you can buy the freehold. There are statutory rights to buy houses in many cases. But either way, Belgravia houses will continue to command huge prices. |
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Maintaining and altering Belgravia housesMany Belgravia houses are listed buildings. if they are Grade I then even an internal re-paint requires approval from the Council and English Heritage. Most listed Belgravia houses are Grade II which means that you certainly need approval for any alterations. It's a criminal offence do do works to a listed Belgravia house without such approval. For Belgravia houses which aren't listed at all, then you may still need planning permission of any external alterations (mansard roofs, altering windows, adding extensions) but not for most internal works. However most types of work beyond the purely cosmetic to Belgravia houses will require building regulation consent - approval by the local council building surveyor that the works meet the necessary building standards. |
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