Georgian Midhurst - or is it?

We went on an organised walk and talk round the Georgian buildings of Midhurst today. We knew about a lot of them, but not the smaller ones. We also learnt how to distinguish the building style that became known as Georgian –

1) bricks laid lengthways with alternate ones known as headers laid end on to the front to make a pattern, having been burnt in the kiln to provide a contrasting coloug

2) six pane windows and

3) the shape of the house which is basically the same shape a child might draw - square  with a central door and 4  symmetrical 6 pane windows, sometimes with a central upper window too.

To complicate matters, some houses with these distinguishing features were NOT Georgian at all. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Midhurst as well as many other similar sized villages, began a transformation fuelled by a new prosperity. A business man’s status became reflected in his property and the old timber framed houses just would not do. Some new Georgian properties were built, very prestigious, while those people with not so much money simply built a new façade over the timber frame. You can see the effect of this here. The frontage of Henry Adams Estate Agent is typical plain Georgian, over laying the timber frame which can still be seen down the side leading to the Angel car park.

Tea and biscuits were thrown in at a local tea room afterwards, a chance to catch up with other members of the Midhurst Society.