Editing Semi-detached (section)

==History of the semi-detached house in the United Kingdom==
{{See also|Terraced houses in the United Kingdom}}
===Housing the rural working classes===
Housing for the farm labourer's family in 1815 typically had one downstairs room with an extension for a [[scullery]] (for washing) and [[pantry]] (for storing food), and two bedrooms upstairs. The house would be of brick, stone if it occurred locally, or [[Cob (material)|cob]] (soil and fibre) on a wooden frame. These houses were unsanitary, but the biggest problem was that there were simply too few of them.{{sfn|Burnett|1986|p=34}} Population was increasing rapidly (see table), and after the [[inclosure act]]s labourers could not find spare land to build their own homes. Homebuilding was thus the responsibility of a [[landowner]] or speculative builder.{{sfn|Burnett|1986|p=35}}
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+ Population in selected English counties. (000's){{sfn|Burnett|1986|p=35}}
|-
!County
!1801
!1851
!Change
|-
|Devonshire||340||567
| +67%
|-
|Norfolk||273||443
| +62%
|-
|Wiltshire||184||254
| +38%
|-
|}
In the late 18th century, [[estate village]]s followed local architectural styles. This later changed as landowners adopted model designs from [[Architectural pattern book|pattern books]]. By the early 19th century, landowners were typically using a "picturesque" style, and building double cottages as a way to reduce cost. In 1834, Edinburgh architect George Smith wrote "this species of cottage can be built cheaper than two single ones, and, in general, these double cottages are found to be warmer and fully as comfortable as single ones".{{sfn|Smith|1834|p=27}}{{sfn|Lofthouse|2012|loc=Housing the Rural Working Classes}}

===Housing the urban working classes===
[[Life in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution]] changed drastically. At the same time as the huge increase in the population of the rural counties, there was [[Demographics of the United Kingdom#Census established and the demographic transition, 1800–2000|an even greater shift in population]] from the impoverished land to the large towns and to cities ([[Urbanization|urbanisation]]). Society was restructuring, with the working classes dividing into artisans and labourers. In the cities, labourers were housed in overcrowded [[Tenement|tenement blocks]], [[Rookery (slum)|rookeries]] and [[Boarding house|lodging houses]], and philanthropic societies aimed to improve conditions. The rural Labourers' Friend Society expanded in 1844 and was reconstituted as the [[Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes]].{{sfn|Lofthouse|2012|loc=Housing the Urban Working Classes}} In their 1850 publication ''The Dwellings of the Labouring Classes'', written by [[Henry Roberts (architect)|Henry Roberts]], the society laid out plans for model 'semi-detached' cottages for workers in towns and the city. However, the first properties they built were tenements and lodging houses.

In 1866 the [[Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes]] built Alexander Cottages at [[Beckenham]] in Kent, on land provided by the [[Duke of Westminster]]. The development initially comprised 16 pairs of semis.  By 1868, they had built 164 semis.{{sfn|Lofthouse|2012|loc=Housing the Urban Working Classes}}

In [[Birmingham]], [[Wolverhampton]] and [[The Potteries Urban Area|the Potteries]] there was a tradition dating from the 1790s of artisans saving through mutual funds and [[friendly society|friendly societies]].{{sfn|Burnett|1986|p=94}} In the 1840s, the [[building society|permanent building society model]] was adopted. The Woolwich Equitable was founded in 1847, the Leeds Permanent in 1848 and Bradford Equitable in 1851. Artisans could invest and then borrow a sum for a mortgage on their own property.{{sfn|Burnett|1986|p=95}}

===Model villages===
In the wool towns of Yorkshire, three factory-owning families built villages for their workers. In each, there was a hierarchy of houses: [[Pre-regulation terraced houses in the United Kingdom|long terraces]] for the workers, larger houses in shorter terraces for the overlookers (overseers), semi-detached houses for the junior managers, and detached houses for the elite.{{sfn|Lofthouse|2012}} The first such village was built by [[Edward Ackroyd|Colonel Edward Ackroyd]], at [[Copley, West Yorkshire]], between 1849 and 1853, the second by [[Sir Titus Salt]] at [[Saltaire]] (1851–1861), and the third was the West Hill Park Estate in [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]] built by [[John Crossley]]. [[Model village]]s in Lancashire followed, with developments like [[Houldsworth Model Village|Houldsworth Village]]. Semi-detached housing in [[colliery]] villages was rare; status here was determined by the length of the terrace.

The development of [[Port Sunlight]] and [[Bournville]] was important. The Port Sunlight model village was begun in 1887. [[William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme|William Lever]] used architects William Owen and his son Segar Owen and stated in 1888 that:

<blockquote><p>It is my and my brother's hope, some day, to build houses in which our work-people will be able to live and be comfortable – semi-detached houses with gardens back and front, in which they will be able to know more about the science of life than they can in a back-to-back slum.{{sfn|Lofthouse|2012}}</p></blockquote>

At Bournville in 1879 the [[George Cadbury|Cadbury]] development started with a detached house for the manager and six pairs of semis with large gardens for key workers. By 1895 the village was made up of semis and short terraces, showing that a low density layout could be a practical possibility even for the working classes. The examples of Bournville and Port Sunlight were seized on by [[Ebenezer Howard]], and they became key models for the [[Garden City movement]].{{sfn|Lofthouse|2012}}

===Housing the middle classes===
The middle class became an important and expanding group in the 19th century. With industrialisation came material gain to the capitalist entrepreneur. New professions came into existence to serve their needs: insurers, engineers, designers. The growth in the population required more architects, lawyers, teachers, doctors, dentists and shopkeepers. Hierarchical tiers emerged within the middle class, each watching each other's status. According to ''A New system of Practical Domestic Economy'' (1820–1840), being middle class required an income of £150 p.a. or more.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ifdAAQAAMAAJ |title=A new system of practical domestic economy: founded on modern discoveries, and the private communications of persons of experience. |publisher=Colburn and Bentley |year=1831 |location=London}}</ref> In 1851, 3 million out of a total population of 18 million in the UK would have been considered to be middle class.{{sfn|Burnett|1986|pp=98–99}}

'''Semi-detached houses''' for the middle class began to be planned systematically in late 18th-century [[Georgian architecture]], as a [[suburb]]an compromise between the [[terraced house]]s close to the city centre, and the detached "[[villa]]s" further out, where land was cheaper. There are occasional examples of such houses in town centres going back to medieval times. Most early examples are in areas such as [[Blackheath, London|Blackheath]], [[Chalk Farm]] and [[St John's Wood]], then considered suburbs but now part  of [[Inner London]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-1454,00.html |title=Where, when and by whom were semi-detached houses first built? – Notes and Queries – guardian.co.uk |website=www.theguardian.com}}</ref> Richard Gillow of Lancaster (1734–1811) was designing 'semis' or pairs of houses in that town as early as 1757, in Moor Lane. The earliest identifiable surviving pair is that built in 1759 on Cable Street (now facing the bus station and partly demolished) for Captain Henry Fell and Samuel Simpson. The specification for this building still survives in the Gillow archives. 

[[File:The Paragon, SE3 - geograph.org.uk - 359588.jpg|thumb|The Paragon in Blackheath]]
In these early years a common style was a row of houses in which several pairs of semi-detached houses are linked by a wall along the frontage. An example is The Paragon in Blackheath, where a blank [[colonnade]] runs between the houses. Most early examples were relatively large houses with access at the rear.{{sfn|Lofthouse|2012}}
[[File:24 Micheldever Road, Lee - geograph.org.uk - 965712.jpg|thumb|1890s middle-class semis in [[Blackheath, London|Blackheath]], London]]
During the 19th century, a father and son architectural partnership, [[John Shaw Sr.]] and [[John Shaw Jr.]], drew up designs for semi-detached housing in London. Examples of their work can be seen in [[Chalk Farm]], North London. [[John Nash (architect)|John Nash]], better known for his [[Regency architecture|Regency terraces]], built some semi-detached villas either side of the [[Regent's Canal]]. These were styled to appear as substantial single detached villas with the entrances to the side. Similarly, the landscape gardener [[John Claudius Loudon]] built a pair of semi-detached villas fashioned to appear as a single house in [[Porchester Terrace]] in 1825. In his 1838 book ''The'' ''Suburban Gardener and Villa Companion'' he gives advice on how to disguise the join between the houses by using false windows.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/suburbangardene00loudgoog |title=The Suburban Gardener and Villa Companion |last=Loudon |first=John Claudius |publisher=Printed for the author and sold by Longman, Orme, Brown, Green and Longmans; and W. Black, Edinburgh |year=1838 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wainwright |first1=Oliver |title=The grand London 'semi' that spawned a housing revolution – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 8|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/01/the-grand-london-semi-that-spawned-a-housing-revolution-a-history-of-cities-in-50-buildings-day-8 |access-date=1 April 2015 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=1 April 2015}}</ref>

===Late 19th century and 20th century===
The [[Public Health Act 1875]] described the structure and required minimum size of [[byelaw terraced house|terraced houses]] and the street pattern that towns had to adopt.<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC - Standard Grade Bitesize History - Public health : Revision, Page 3|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/history/1830_1930/public_health/revision/3/}}</ref> This made it difficult to place a semi in a large garden. The law stated that the building lines should be 11m apart, and that there should be rear access to allow the removal of [[nightsoil]]. In 1875, it was thought that having a [[Outhouse|privy]] inside the house was unhealthy. Cold water came from a stand pipe in the yard, and lighting was by candle or by [[town gas|gas mantles]]. Heating and cooking was done by coal, and hot water was boiled in kettles on the [[kitchen range|living room range]]. Kitchens were rare – the wet activities were done outside or in the [[scullery (room)|scullery]]. Later, water was piped to the house, and some living room fires had a [[back boiler]] for heating.

During the First World War the [[Tudor Walters Report]] was published, setting standards for the accommodations needed for returning soldiers, dubbed "[[homes fit for heroes]]".{{sfn|Burnett|1986|p=223}} The [[Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act 1919]] (Addison Act) incorporated those recommendations including one that allowed for housing based on the [[Radburn design housing|Radburn design]].{{sfn|UWE|2008|loc= Section 4.}} In this design, small clusters of up to 15 houses would circle small [[cul-de-sac]]s of a district feeder road. This tipped the balance away from short terraces towards pairs of semi-detached houses. The housing density was initially generous, but was reduced in 1923 after a change of government from the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] to the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]].{{sfn|UWE|2008|loc= Section 4.}}

[[File:SeacroftSemis.jpg|thumb|Semi-detached council house in [[Seacroft]], [[Leeds]], [[West Yorkshire]] ]]
After the Second World War, there was a chronic shortage of houses. In the short term this was relieved by the construction of [[Prefabricated home#United Kingdom|prefabricated houses]] with a ten-year life. The successor was the [[Pre-cast reinforced concrete houses in the United Kingdom|pre-cast reinforced concrete]] semi-detached house. Although the frame was concrete the exterior panels were often traditional brick, so the final building was visually indistinguishable from a traditionally built house.{{sfn|NHBC|2015|p=5}}

The recommendations of the [[Parker Morris Committee]] became mandatory for all public housing from 1967 till 1980. Initially the private sector adopted them too, but gradually lowered their standards.{{sfn|Park|2017|p=23}}