New Build Luxury With Victorian Charm
Have you ever looked at the beautiful period features of a Victorian property , but wished you could combine it with a modern energy efficient home ? Well , that ’ s now a reality in Wandsworth , London . The expertise of cast stone manufacturer , Chilstone , has helped a builder and property developer to recreate a row of new houses to match the existing Victorian street . Here ’ s the story of how this row of houses was rebuilt decades later to replicate those bombed and destroyed during the Blitz .
BOMBED During the Second World War the German Luftwaffe dropped 27,917 bombs on London . 738 of these were dropped in Wandsworth . The majority of those fell during 57 consecutive nights when bombs rained down on London for the worst of the Blitz . Throughout the war 1.2 million houses were destroyed in London alone . This left gaping spaces in regular residential streets , as well as changing the architectural landscape of the Southbank and large areas of London which are still visible today .
A MISMATCHED STREET One street in Wandsworth suffered a similar fate , like so many others in London . The end of a row of Victorian terraced houses was destroyed by a German bomb . These homes were replaced with a pair of 1950s semi-detached , prefab buildings . Although they provided housing for families they were made quickly and cheaply in the post war world where resources were stretched . The original Victorian features were lost but the whole country had enough worries without fretting about architecture . The houses were functional and practical and stood at the end of the street for decades .
MATCHING THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Many decades later the two buildings were sold and planning permission was obtained to re-build the original lost terraced houses . Chilstone were commissioned to supply the architectural stone work because of their expertise handcrafting restoration projects for renowned clients such as Kensington Palace , Kew Gardens and Hever Castle .
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