English bond is a pattern of bricklaying in which alternate courses consist entirely of headers, bricks laid with their short ends showing, and stretchers, bricks laid lengthways along the face of the wall. The result is a strong, solid wall with a distinctive horizontal striped appearance and very good structural integrity, as the headers tie the wall together through its thickness.
English bond was widely used in Britain from the late medieval and Tudor periods through to the seventeenth century, and it can be seen in many great houses, almshouses and churches of the period. From the later seventeenth century it was gradually superseded for fine facades by Flemish bond, in which headers and stretchers alternate within each course, a pattern considered more decorative. English bond remained in use where strength mattered, and the Victorians employed it widely for railway viaducts, bridges, warehouses and other engineering works. Recognising the bond pattern helps architectural historians and buyers of historic houses date brickwork and identify later alterations. When repairing old brick walls, matching the original bond, brick size and lime mortar is essential for a sympathetic result.
