Re: Re: ‘Dutch Billys’

Fantastic stuff as always, gunter 🙂

I think we can safely say going by the balustrading of the stairs that the house dates to the 1730s or 1740s, i.e. not as early some of the ancient houses further down Aungier Street. Its positioning slightly further out towards the end of the street, presumably amongst the last to be developed, would lend support to this.

Timber cornicing is spot on too. All internal mouldings in modest houses were hewn from timber until the mid 18th century. The vertical timber panelling is interesting if original alright. Indeed its primitive character would suggest that it is the continuation of more elaborate full scale panelling – perhaps former panelling? – to the ground floor, which typically ended at first floor level.

It’d be interesting to see just how common raised ground floors were in Dutch Billies. I suspect they really only emerged in the later houses of the 1730s and 1740s with the wider emergence of Georgian notions. Again that would help establish the date of this house if the case…