Victorian architecture describes the buildings constructed in Britain and its empire during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. It was a period of extraordinary building activity driven by population growth, industrialisation and the expansion of towns and railways, producing everything from terraced houses and villas to churches, town halls, stations, factories and museums.
Rather than a single style, Victorian architecture embraced a succession of revivals and eclectic combinations. The Gothic Revival, championed by Augustus Pugin and later John Ruskin, dominated churches and many public buildings, while Italianate, Renaissance, Tudor, Queen Anne and Romanesque styles were also widely used. New materials and technologies, including cast iron, plate glass, mass-produced brick and terracotta, allowed buildings such as the Crystal Palace and great railway stations. Typical domestic features include bay windows, decorative brickwork, sash windows, encaustic tiled floors, cast-iron fireplaces, ornate plaster cornices and ceiling roses. Many Victorian architectural fittings survive as salvage and are popular for restoring period homes.
