The Rebuilding Acts
The Rebuilding Acts were two acts of Parliament passed, in 1667 and 1670 respectively, following the Great Fire of London of 1666.
As a result of the devastating fire, 13,200 houses (approximately 80%), 87 churches, 52 livery company halls, and numerous courts, jails and civil administration buildings were destroyed.
With an urgent need to rebuild the City of London, the Rebuilding of London Act 1666 (long title ‘An Act for rebuilding the City of London’) was drawn up by Sir Matthew Hale. This act was passed in February 1667 and outlined the form and content of rebuilding work to be undertaken. It stipulated that to prevent a recurrence of the disaster, all new buildings were to be constructed of brick or stone rather than timber – ‘no man whatsoever shall presume to erect any house or building, great or small, but of brick or stone’.
The Act also imposed a maximum number of stories per house for a fixed number of dwellings as a means of preventing overcrowding. In addition, the act reformed the medieval system of Guilds, calling ‘all carpenters, bricklayers, masons, plasterers and joiners’ to help with reconstruction.
Within a few days of the fire, several people put forward proposals for a radical reorganization of the City’s streets. One of these was proposed by Christopher Wren who envisaged a well-ordered design, inspired by the Gardens of Versailles, with wide and straight streets. However, this and other similarly transformational designs were rejected, considered to be unfeasible and not conducive to the urgency of rebuilding.
Wren was appointed as one of several Commissioners to regulate the rebuilding works. The Commissioners issued proclamations concerning the width of streets and the height, materials, and dimensions of buildings.
In February 1667, a designated Fire Court began to hear and settle claims made by owners and tenants who had lost property in the fire.
The Rebuilding of London Act 1670 (long title ‘Act for the rebuilding of the City of London, united of Parishes and rebuilding of the Cathedral and Parochial Churches within the said City’), was passed to extend powers for the enlargement of streets. It also ordered the rebuilding of St. Paul’s Cathedral, a duty which was taken on by Wren. In total, 51 parish churches were rebuilt under Wren’s direction, of which 23 remain fairly intact, with ruins or only the towers remaining of another 6.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- After the Fire: London churches in the age of Wren, Hooke, Hawksmoor, and Gibbs.
- Christopher Wren.
- Conservation of the historic environment.
- English architectural stylistic periods.
- Restoration.
- St Pauls Cathedral.
- The Livery Halls of the City of London.
IHBC NewsBlog
Heritage Building Retrofit Toolkit developed by City of London and Purcell
The toolkit is designed to provide clear and actionable guidance for owners, occupiers and caretakers of historic and listed buildings.
70 countries sign Declaration de Chaillot at Buildings & Climate Global Forum
The declaration is a foundational document enabling progress towards a ‘rapid, fair, and effective transition of the buildings sector’
Bookings open for IHBC Annual School 12-15 June 2024
Theme: Place and Building Care - Finance, Policy and People in Conservation Practice
Rare Sliding Canal Bridge in the UK gets a Major Update
A moveable rail bridge over the Stainforth and Keadby Canal in the Midlands in England has been completely overhauled.
'Restoration and Renewal: Developing the strategic case' Published
The House of Commons Library has published the research briefing, outlining the different options for the Palace of Westminster.
Brum’s Broad Street skyscraper plans approved with unusual rule for residents
A report by a council officer says that the development would provide for a mix of accommodation in a ‘high quality, secure environment...
English Housing Survey 2022 to 2023
Initial findings from the English Housing Survey 2022 to 2023 have been published.
Audit Wales research report: Sustainable development?
A new report from Audit Wales examines how Welsh Councils are supporting repurposing and regeneration of vacant properties and brownfield sites.
New Guidance Launched on ‘Understanding Special Historic Interest in Listing’
Historic England (HE) has published this guidance to help people better understand special historic interest, one of the two main criteria used to decide whether a building can be listed or not.
"Conservation Professional Practice Principles" to be updated by IHBC, HTVF, CV
IHBC, HTVF, and CV look to renew this cross-sector statement on practice principles for specialists working in built and historic environment conservation roles.
Comments
...