British Lifestyle, Identity and Attitudes.

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After the Norman invasion in 1066, more consistent forms of design began to appear regularly. William I and his law lords built numerous castles to uphold their authority. Often they were built initially of wood, speed of erection being of greater concern than design or appearance; the best known of these is the Tower of London. However, during the following two centuries of the Norman period, further and even larger castles were built to suppress the natives. Many castles remain from these medieval times and in most times and villages the parish church is an indication of the age of the settlement. While the Crown was busy with the construction of defensive structures, the clergy and indeed most of society, was dedicated to the glorification of God through the erection of Gothic Cathedrals, such as Salisbury Cathedral.

The 15th and 16th centuries are famous, among other things, for their architecture. This is the time of Tudor Architecture. Henry VIII was the most famous Tudor King. You can see many Tudor houses in England today. Most ordinary homes in Tudor times were half-timbered – they had wooden frames and the spaces between were filled with small sticks and wet clay called wattle and daub. Tudor houses are known for their “black-and-white” effect.

After the civil war of 1642-49, houses were built purely for living, and design and appearance were forever more important than defense. Following the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 and the Great Fire of 1666 an opportunity was missed in London to create a new metropolitan city. Although one of the most well-known British architects, Sir Christopher Wren, was employed to design and rebuild many of the ruined ancient churches of London, his master plan to rebuild London as a whole was rejected. It was in this period that he designed the building that he is perhaps best known for, St Paul’s Cathedral. This period is known as Stuart architecture.

The 18th century was the time of Georgian architecture. In this period, comfort and style became truly popular. After the great fire an act of Parliament was passed to ensure new homes were made from fire resistant materials, such as brick and slate. A typical Georgian house of the 18th century was elegant and formal in style. During the Georgian times there was a heavy tax on windows, as England needed money for war. The number of windows you had was a sign of your wealth as poor people only had one window per floor. Some people bricked up windows to avoid the tax (King’s College in Cambridge). Buildings were built in red brick with white stone decoration. There were pillars in the front of the house. They had square symmetrical shape, a panelled front door in the centre, tiled hipped roofs (a roof that slopes upwards from all sides of the building), paired chimneys and sash windows (windows that slide up and down).

The 19th C. was the time of Victorian architecture. Opposing the symmetry of the Georgian period, the romantic medieval gothic style reappeared. Steel was incorporated as a building component. In this era of prosperity and development English architecture embraced many new methods of construction, but ironically in style, some architects ensured it remained firmly in the past. With the beginning of the railways and new manufacturing processes, previously locally produced building materials became available all over the country. Many architects at the start of their careers emigrated to the different parts of the British Empire taking with them the British style of architecture. The typical Victorian house had bay windows, iron railings, red bricks, stained glass in doorways and windows, decorations on the walls and roofs made of slate.

The 20th C. brought with it lots of new forms and fashions. The classical style, however, has never been abandoned in Britain. Today, the British like private property, and the importance of a home is to feel cosy. The cost of housing in Britain has increased much faster than people’s salaries, making it impossible for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder unless they are in especially well-paid jobs, are able to call upon rich relatives or are prepared to buy jointly with friends. As buying a house is very expensive, people usually pay for it with a special loan called a mortgage, which they must repay, with interest, over a long period time, usually 25 years. Most British people live in towns and cities, but they have an idealised vision of the countryside. To them, the countryside means peace and quiet, beauty, good health and no crime. Almost everybody in Britain dreams of living in a detached house (a house which is a separate building) because they say that “an Englishman’s house is his castle”, and this illustrates their desire for privacy and the importance attached to ownership, which seems to be at the heart of the British attitude to housing. A house is also a status symbol. They would also be happy living in a thatched cottage because it is the idealised country retreat. The second best is a semi-detached house. This is one building with two separate households. Each house is the mirror of the other. A less desirable one is a terraced house because it has no way through to the back and each house in the row is joined to the other. The least desirable kind of house is the flat. Flats are the cheapest kind of home. For British people they mean less privacy and they consider that the people who live in them are those who cannot afford to live anywhere else. Most houses in England are made of stone or brick from the local area where the house is built. The colours of the stones and bricks vary across the country.

Another problem concerning households is that people do not like living near big roads or railways. The value of houses along roads goes down. Nevertheless, nearly three quarters of the households in Britain have regular use of a car, and about a quarter have more than one car. Their enthusiasm for cars is partly the result of people using them to project an image of themselves. Another possible reason is the opportunity that cars provide to indulge in the national passion for privacy. Being in a car is like taking “your castle” with you wherever you go. This is why the occasional attempts to persuade people to “car pool” have met with little success.

However, people use public transport more than their own cars. Nevertheless, public transport services have suffered because there is so much traffic on the roads that they are not as cheap, as frequent or as fast as they otherwise could be. The different types of public transport found in Britain are the double-decker buses; the underground, known as the tube, which has twelve lines and provides a connection between the city and the surrounding suburbs, and the black taxis. Motorcycling is