TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Some minor changes to the text are noted at the [end of the book].

THE MODEL VILLAGE
AND ITS COTTAGES:
BOURNVILLE.

PLATE I.
BLOCK OF FOUR COTTAGES
BOURNVILLE.

THE MODEL VILLAGE
AND ITS COTTAGES:
BOURNVILLE

ILLUSTRATED BY
FIFTY-SEVEN PLATES OF PLANS, VIEWS, AND DETAILS

BY
W. ALEXANDER HARVEY
Architect.

LONDON
B. T. BATSFORD, 94, HIGH HOLBORN
NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1906

DEDICATED TO
MR. & MRS. GEORGE CADBURY.

PREFACE.

In February, 1904, I was invited to read a paper on the subject of Cottage Homes before the London Architectural Association, when I took as the basis of my remarks the work executed from my designs at the Bournville Village. In adapting myself to the limits of such a paper, I found that, while much which was treated suffered considerably through inevitable compression, a great deal that I wished also to include had to be omitted. This suggested to me the idea, now realised in book form, of treating the subject more comprehensively, giving plans and views of actual examples of cottages, with measurements and costs, and amplifying and adding to my former notes and observations.

Even with the larger scope of a book, it is still felt that much has been left undone and unsaid, and it is frankly admitted that one man dealing with his own work can scarcely pretend to do full justice to the broad subject under notice; nevertheless, it is hoped that the plans and views of Bournville cottages, accompanied by descriptions and notes, may at least prove of value as suggestions for those interested in a matter now claiming very wide attention—that of the building of cottages which may fitly be called homes.

I am indebted to the Bournville Village Trust for their courtesy in allowing me to publish plans and particulars of the Estate cottages, as well as to the private owners of the few other cottages dealt with in these pages. I must also acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. T. B. Rogers for his valuable assistance in the production of the book.

W. ALEXANDER HARVEY.

5, Bennett’s Hill,
Birmingham.
December, 1905.

CONTENTS.

LIST OF PLATES.

OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS.

THE
MODEL VILLAGE: BOURNVILLE

INTRODUCTION.

In introducing the present work on “The Model Village and its Cottages,” it would be certainly out of place to discuss the housing problem; there is, nevertheless, an aspect of this question to which the attention of the reader should be briefly directed.

The housing problem is no longer one in which the poor in the congested districts of great towns are alone concerned. A far larger section of the people is affected,—a section which includes not only the labouring class, but also the skilled artisan, and even a class of the people still more prosperous. In the light of present sanitary and hygienic knowledge it is at last recognised that the housing conditions of the past will not suffice for the future. The difficulties besetting reform are necessarily very great, yet with the movement now afoot—not only in this country, but also on the Continent and in America—it is not unreasonable to expect that before long important changes will take place. Now that politicians and economists, as well as sanitarians, are identifying themselves with the movement, it is clear that if it is to result in lasting good, the attention of the builders of these new homes for the people must also be engaged; and the field that thus presents itself to the efforts of the architect is a large one.

No better testimony to this need can be afforded than by the typical latter-day artisan-suburb, and it is indeed in this very suburb that the housing problem confronts us in what threatens to be in the future one of its worst aspects. Desolate row upon row of ugly and cramped villas, ever multiplying to meet the demands of a quickly increasing population, where no open spaces are reserved, where trees and other natural beauties are sacrificed to the desire to crowd upon the land as many dwellings as possible, and where gardens cannot be said to exist—such are the suburbs which threaten to engulf our cities. That they do not adequately meet the needs of the people is beyond all question.

The remedy most frequently suggested is that the people should themselves undertake and develop housing schemes collectively through the municipalities. It is pointed out that, if nothing is done, the municipalities will before long have a slum problem on the outskirts of the town to deal with, and it is urged that they should have greater power over the development of land in the extra-urban districts. It is recommended, again, that the authorities should exercise the powers they already possess. The Inter-Departmental Committee on Physical Deterioration, in their Report to the Government of 1904, insisted most strongly, it will be remembered, on the necessity for preventing the creation of these new slums. “The local authorities in contiguous areas which are in process of urbanisation,” it declares, “should co-operate with a view to securing proper building regulations, in furtherance of which end the making of building bye-laws, to be approved by the Local Government Board, should be made compulsory on both urban and rural authorities; attention should also be given to the preservation of open spaces, with abundance of light and air. By the use of judicious foresight and prudence the growth of squalid slums may be arrested, and districts which hereafter become urbanised may have at least some of the attributes of an ideal garden city.”

In the case of municipalities undertaking the development of land, emphasis should be laid upon the advisability of securing the services of experts both for the laying out of the land and for the designing of the houses, and in order to obtain variety in the latter it is recommended that the designs should be the work of several architects.

At present, as is well known, the rows of houses in what has been called the artisan-suburb are usually the work of the speculating builder, who buys land at a cheap rate and builds to create ground rents, often selling the houses at a bare profit, or even under cost. As the maintenance of the property does not fall upon himself, it is not surprising that the class of building erected should be that generally known as “jerry-built.”

Apart from these and other schemes suggested is the work of the Garden City Association in their experiment at Hitchin, and also the experiments at Port Sunlight, Bournville, and elsewhere, which have all given such a practical impetus to the movement. An encouraging sign of the times, too, is the commendable effort of the Trustees of Eton College, who, to prevent the development of the typical artisan-suburb on their extensive land at Hampstead, have formed a Trust to buy 240 acres for building purposes, the division of the land and the plans of the houses being required to meet certain specified conditions. In many suburbs, owing to the few houses of high rental, the rates are extremely high, and a heavy percentage is absorbed by the schools. One of the objects of the Garden Suburb, as it is called, is the amalgamation of all classes in the same district, the artisan and the well-to-do living in reasonable proximity to one another. With the abolition of the unsightly row the æsthetic objection at least to such an arrangement is removed, for in the interesting disposition of houses of varying sizes lies one of the secrets of beautiful village building, as is testified in so many well known old villages. In the new suburb it is hoped to provide cottages for workpeople with gardens of one tenth of an acre.

But whether land is developed privately or by public bodies, it is essential, in order to secure real reform, that the needs, domestic and social, of the people for whom the houses are provided should be intimately understood. What will have to be provided are homes, and it should be clearly recognised what constitutes the home demanded by the large section of the community which the problem affects.

At the outset it may be noted that for half the year the occupants of these homes spend the hours of recreation out of doors, also that most of them prefer that opportunities for such recreation should be had within easy reach of the home itself. Though the public-houses and the numerous artificial pleasures provided in towns are sought by so many, the persistence of those who still cultivate the contracted and ill-favoured garden strip suggests a need of the greatest importance. This persistence, moreover, does not, it will be found, indicate a desire for exercise and fresh air alone, but a love for familiar surroundings. Among the lowest class this instinct may still be observed, and in court tenements it will be found that the doorstep takes the place of the garden strip. The fact is that the Englishman’s house is his castle, and though his castle be deprived of its “grounds,” the home instinct, so deeply rooted in the English character, will not be denied. Whether in the future this instinct should be fostered, or blunted as in the past, is a matter of elementary sociology. The inference, then, will be that the accommodation of the house is not the only matter with which we have to concern ourselves, but that the closest attention should also be devoted to the environment. Besides the provision of an ample garden, the environment itself must be healthy and pleasant. The influence of surroundings in exalting or depressing the mind, and thus affecting the life, is a matter not only for the theorist, but for the architect.

With the provision of a garden, the tenant himself may add to the beauty of his home, and at the same time enjoy fresh air and recreation. The cultivation of the soil is certainly the best antidote to the sedentary occupations of those working in large towns. A primitive instinct is indulged, the full value of which seems hardly yet to have been realised. Many believe, indeed, that with its encouragement the abuse of the social club and public-house will be materially lessened, and one of the greatest social evils of the time disappear. (The experience of Bournville certainly gives support to this conclusion, for nearly every householder there spends his leisure in gardening, and there is not a single licensed-house in the village.)

With regard to the house itself, so far as it contributes to a pleasant environment, it should be remembered that architectural beauty is not dependent upon the ornament introduced; on the contrary, the use of the latter rather tends to deprive the dwelling of its homeliness, and of this truth the jerry-built house, with its scroll-cut lintel and moulded brick string-course, affords only too frequent an illustration. The soul of beauty is harmony, which may co-exist with the veriest simplicity; and it is in the harmonious treatment of parts, and not in useless and sometimes costly decoration, that a dwelling gains that homely appearance which it should be our aim to realise.

The chief essentials in a home, then, are adequate accommodation—which must include a bath as a sine quâ non—a pleasing and harmonious appearance of exterior and environment, and the provision of an ample garden.

It is surely not a mere coincidence that at the present time, not only in England but in other countries, a movement is in progress side by side with that of housing reform which is of great significance—the revival in domestic architecture. At present this has manifested itself chiefly in recent examples of country houses and in residences of the larger cottage class. Though the influence has already revealed itself to some extent even in the smaller cottage-dwellings, and though many notable experiments have been made—most telling of all the splendid experiment at Garden City—it may be said that the effort on the part of the architect generally to satisfy the demands both of art and economy has yet to be made. The fact that it is cheaper to erect villas in long rows of a repeated and stereotyped design has doubtless largely discouraged such effort, but the prejudice of the artisan and others against the revival—for the revival was at first looked upon, perhaps, as an artistic craze—can scarcely now be regarded as an obstacle. If the needs of the people, as they have been conceived in the few preceding paragraphs, are to be satisfied, the two movements of housing reform and the revival in domestic architecture must certainly advance hand in hand. With adequate experiment it will probably be found, moreover, that the difficulty on the economic side has been exaggerated. On this account, in the examples of smaller cottage types here dealt with, attention has been specially paid to this aspect of the question, a pleasing appearance having been aimed at, with the employment of the least costly materials. An effort has also been made in a further stage to show how monotony may be avoided, even with a repetition of the same plan, by variety in combination and disposition.

Larger types of cottages are also included, and economy in design and cost of materials has here also been considered, as well as a pleasing effect aimed at. The plans given, with one exception, are of examples actually existing, so that what defects may be present can scarcely be disguised. The intention is that they should be regarded chiefly as suggestive, and it is frankly admitted that they are not only capable of modification, by which their cost may be reduced, but also of improvement. The work dealt with has been executed during the last ten years.

The method of including with the description of each cottage such notes and suggestions as have seemed worthy of mention, has been adopted as being more valuable than grouping these under separate heads, though a number of general observations on various features of cottage-building has also been added.

The photographs reproduced were taken by T. Lewis and by Harold Baker, both of Birmingham.

Note.—The cost is given of all cottages where the accommodation, materials, &c., are fully described, with the exception of one or two cases in which the cottages are owned privately. As most of the examples given have been built by the Bournville Village Trust, it should be noted that the figures stated include an addition to the net cost of 3¾ per cent. as builder’s profit.

PLATE II.
THE TRIANGLE.
BOURNVILLE.

THE BOURNVILLE VILLAGE.

Although many articles have already appeared from time to time in newspaper and periodical respecting the Bournville Village, the following account of its founding and development will doubtless be of interest to the reader:—

In 1879 Messrs. Cadbury Brothers removed their works from Birmingham to the present site at Bournville, and twenty-four cottages were erected there for their workmen. This really formed the nucleus out of which in recent years the village has developed. It was in 1895 that Mr. George Cadbury, the senior member of the present firm, commenced the work of building a model village. One of the objects of the scheme was that of “alleviating the evils which arise from the insanitary and insufficient housing accommodation supplied to large numbers of the working classes, and of securing to workers in factories some of the advantages of outdoor village life, with opportunities for the natural and healthful occupation of cultivating the soil.” A simple and interesting statement of the motive behind the experiment was made by Mr. Cadbury himself at the Garden City Conference, held at Bournville in 1901. An intimate knowledge of the lives of Birmingham working-men, gained by an experience of some forty years, had shown him that the greatest drawback to their moral and physical progress was the lack of any healthful occupation for their leisure. Although many men took up carpentry and other crafts, such hobbies, he said, had proved insufficiently recreative, and in most cases the men soon tired of them. Realising this, he began to think of new means. His conclusion was that the only practical thing was to bring the factory worker out on to the land, that he might pursue the most natural and healthful of all recreations, that of gardening. It was impossible for working men to be healthy and have healthy children, when after being confined all day in factories they spent their evenings in an institute, club room, or public house. If it were necessary for their health, as it undoubtedly was, that they should get fresh air, it was equally to the advantage of their moral life that they should be brought into contact with Nature. There was an advantage, too, in bringing the working-man on to the land, for, instead of his losing money in the amusements usually sought in the towns, he saved it in his garden produce—a great consideration where the poorer class of workman was concerned. The average yield per garden in the 1901 tests at Bournville, after making allowance for all outgoings, proved to be 1s. 11d. each per week. Mr. Cadbury also thought that the increased consumption of fresh vegetable food, instead of animal food, was further desirable. It was touching, he thought, to see the interest and pleasure taken by town families when on coming into the country they saw seeds germinate and vegetables grown for the first time. Nor was the advantage of leaving the town for the country restricted to the workmen. Mr. Cadbury showed that the greater facilities there for obtaining land were also of advantage to the manufacturer whose business was increasing.

The Bournville idea was at first regarded as an impracticable one, even apart from the economic side of the question, but the realisation of the scheme has proved otherwise. The average garden space allotted to the Bournville cottages is 600 square yards, this being as much as most men can conveniently cultivate, and, almost without exception, the Bournville tenants are the most enthusiastic gardeners—a statement no one surely will traverse who has paid a visit to the village in the summer.

PLATE III.
SHOPS,
BOURNVILLE.

PLATE IV.
LINDEN ROAD,
BOURNVILLE.

PLATE V.
THE OLD FARM
INN, BOURNVILLE.

While it was the first aim of the founder to provide dwellings for the factory worker which should have adequate accommodation and large gardens, it was not intended that at Bournville provision should be made alone for the poorer working class. It might be pointed out that one of the most prominent ideals in the scheme of the Garden Suburb Trust, already referred to, is “that all classes may live in kindly neighbourliness,” and the amalgamation of the factory-worker and the brain-worker in the same district is catered for as being expressly desirable. At Bournville there has always been a demand for houses both on the part of the skilled artisan and others, and this demand has been provided for from the first. Rents in the village range from 4s. 6d. a week, rates not included, to 12s. a week; and there are also a few houses of a still larger class at higher rentals. Nor are the houses let to Messrs. Cadbury’s own workpeople exclusively, as the following figures will show—figures based on a private census taken during 1901, and here quoted from a booklet issued by the Village Trust:—

The village is four miles from Birmingham, and is easily accessible by cycle, rail, or electric car. The last come within easy distance of the village, workmen’s fares being 2d. return.

Under the founder’s first scheme the land was let upon leases of 999 years, subject to a ground rent varying from ½d. to 1d. per yard (600 square yards at ½d. and 1d. = £1 5s. and £2 10s. respectively). Arrangements were made to find capital on mortgages granted at the rate of Three per cent. to those who paid less than half the cost of the house and Two and a-half per cent. to those who paid more. Although a stipulation was made that no one person should be allowed to build more than four houses, it was found necessary to revise the arrangement in order to prevent speculation. In 1900, therefore, the estate was handed over to a Trust on behalf of the nation, the whole income to be directed to solving the housing problem. The houses now built are let to tenants at moderate weekly rentals, which include the annual ground rent, equal to about 1d. per yard (according to its value), and which should yield Four per cent. net. The revenue of house and ground rents is employed, after provision has been made for the maintenance and repair of present property, in the development of the village itself, and in the laying out and development of other villages elsewhere, the Trust being empowered under the deed of foundation to acquire land in any part of Great Britain. Subsequently to the formation of the Trust, additional land adjacent to Bournville has been added to the founder’s gift, and included in the village, which now extends over 458 acres. Already upwards of 100 acres of land have been laid out for building. There are now about 450 houses in the hands of the Trust, which number, added to the 143 sold under the first scheme, makes a total of nearly 600. With the income of the Trust, building is being steadily proceeded with, and there is a continual demand for houses.

PLATE VI.
SYCAMORE ROAD,
BOURNVILLE.

PLATE VII.
THE SCHOOLS,
BOURNVILLE
SEE PAGE [13].

PLATE VIII.
CARVED STONE PANELS
FOR SCHOOLS.

The Trustees have power to make arrangements with railways and other companies for cheap means of transit. They may lease, underlet, or sell land, or develop it and prepare it for building, give land, or erect buildings for places of worship, hospitals, schools, technical institutes, libraries, gymnasiums, laundries, baths, &c. Occupying a central position in the village are already the Bournville Meeting House (see Plates [x.] and [xi.]), the Ruskin Hall, an institute founded in 1903, and including library, reading-room, lecture hall, class rooms (see Plate [ix.]), and the schools described later. Ample open spaces have been reserved in various parts of the village. These include the Village Green; The Triangle (a plot of land with lawn, flower beds, and shrubbery, intersected by public paths—see Plate [ii.]); Camp Wood (an undulating woodland, thick with old forest-trees); children’s playgrounds and lawns, with swings, bars, &c.; allotment gardens; youths’ and girls’ gardens (consisting of a number of small plots rented and cultivated by boys and girls, in connection with which gardening classes are held), &c. A large area of land, through which flows the Bourn stream, has also been reserved for laying out as a public park. Adjacent to the Estate, though not part of it, are two extensive and well-wooded recreation grounds belonging to Messrs. Cadbury, which are put at the disposal of their men and women employees; those for the former including open-air swimming baths, which may be used during stipulated hours by the tenants of the Estate houses. These recreation grounds separate the works buildings from the village itself, and in the event of the factory ceasing to exist, the Trust deed provides that they be handed over to the District Council for use as a public park. Nearly all the old trees and woodland on the Estate have been preserved, and new trees planted in many parts.

The schools (see Plate [vii.]) are the gift to the village of Mr. and Mrs. George Cadbury. They accommodate 540 children (270 boys and 270 girls), and are constructed on the central-hall plan. There are six class-rooms for fifty children each, and six for forty each, and the dimensions of the large hall are 84 ft. by 32 ft. The land falls from North to South, and advantage has been taken of the basement afforded to provide for accommodation for classes in cookery, laundry, manual instruction, and various branches of handicraft. The buildings stand in grounds two and a-half acres in extent, adjoining which is the Park, the children thus having access in all to about ten acres. The tower rises to a height of about 60 ft., and has been utilised for a library, laboratory, &c. An extensive view of the surrounding country is obtained from the top, and a map, incised in stone, with compass and locating apparatus, is provided for instructing the children in local geography. Everything is being done in the designing of details—carved and painted panels, &c.—to make the building itself a permanent means of educating the children; the subjects chosen include historical scenes, truthfully depicted as regards dress, customs, architecture, &c., while in the bosses and voussoirs are represented English flowers and foliage, conventionally treated. The carving is executed by Mr. Benjamin Creswick, of Birmingham.

In the designing of the building every effort has been made to embody the latest improvements and the result of the most broad-minded and enlightened study of education.

Gardens are provided for the instruction of the children in gardening, vegetable growing, &c.

The low death-rate at Bournville during 1904 of 6·9 per thousand, compared with 19 per thousand in Birmingham, is some indication of the healthiness of the village. The figures are taken from the report of the district medical officer of health.

PLATE IX.
RUSKIN HALL,
BOURNVILLE.

PLATE X.
MEETING HOUSE,
BOURNVILLE.

PLATE XI.
MEETING HOUSE,
BOURNVILLE.

It is not proposed to deal here with the economics of model village or garden city schemes generally. Though the movement is still very young, it is already advancing from the problematical stage. Its progress is being watched with the keenest interest by many who realise that of all courses the most impracticable in the long run is that which allows the slum-suburb to spring up unchecked.

If it be asked, with regard to the problem of the housing of the people, what is Bournville’s contribution towards its solution, it would be stating its claims at the lowest to say that it stands as an example of what the village of the future may be, a village of healthy homes amid pleasant surroundings, where fresh air is abundant and beauty present, and where are secured to its people by an administration co-operative in nature numerous benefits which under present conditions are denied them elsewhere.

COTTAGES AT £135, with Notes on the Economic Building of Small Cottages.

PLATES XII AND XIII.
COTTAGES IN BLOCKS OF EIGHT, AT £135.

FRONT ELEVATION

GROUND PLAN BEDROOM PLAN

Plate [xii] gives the plan, with elevation, of a block of eight cottages, the accommodation of which is the least, and the dimensions the lowest, that should be provided for homes with one living room.

The accommodation is as follows:—

Ground Floor.

Living Room, 12 ft. 4 in. × 13 ft. Kitchen, 8 ft. × 12 ft. 6 ins. (with “Cabinet” Bath, and boiler with patent steam exhaust). Larder under stairs.

Bedroom Floor.

First Bedroom, 9 ft. 2 ins. × 13 ft., and recess. Second Bedroom, 8 ft. 4 ins. × 11 ft. 2 ins. Third Bedroom, 7 ft. 6 ins. × 8 ft.

Total cost, £135 per cottage.

Laying out of garden, £7 10s. extra.

Cubical contents, 64,800 ft. at 4d. per foot cube = £1,080 per block, or £135 per cottage.

There has been considerable discussion of late with regard to the building of cheap cottages suitable for labourers and the poorer artisans, both in the country and elsewhere. Experiments have been made in which the building materials employed have been other than brick, the object being a reduction in cost. The bye-laws which do not at present sanction the erection of cottages in some of these materials will, it is hoped, before long be altered. Meanwhile, what is wanted in most districts is the cheap dwelling in brick.

PLATE XIII.
BLOCK OF EIGHT COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [16].

The example here given is of a similar plan to one from which a number of cottages in blocks of four have been erected at Bournville. Owing to a decision on the part of the Village Trust not to build in blocks of more than four, the plans here given have never been carried out at Bournville, but in view of the danger there is of under-estimating the cost of such cottages, and the importance of avoiding inaccuracies, estimates have been obtained for their erection under similar conditions. Economy of construction has been the main object in the design, without sacrificing that pleasant environment, privacy and homeliness of appearance which are, as already indicated, essential to the cottage home.

The cost of erecting in blocks of four only is necessarily increased, and the lowest estimate for those at Bournville is £160 per cottage, the particular estimate being, however, for a block of four on “made up” ground, necessitating deep footings, the cottages including the sunk bath, which is more costly than the “Cabinet” patent.

The plan might be simplified, if desired, by omitting the division wall between the living room and scullery, thus making one large room. The boiler, sink, and bath might then be planned in a small recess which could be screened off by a curtain when not in use.

Simplicity and Regularity of Planning.—The roof runs uninterruptedly from end to end, by which unnecessary roof complications are avoided; the chimneys have been grouped together to diminish trimming and flashing, always costly items, and have been brought to the highest point in the roof to prevent smoky flues, consequent upon down draughts; and the building throughout is of a very inexpensive character. Further, the eaves run uninterruptedly, for the windows are not allowed to complicate the spouting and roofing by breaking through the roof, the wall-plate nevertheless being kept at a fairly low level. In all cottages of this class, compactness and regularity should be always aimed at in planning, and the wall lines—set out at right angles—should be as long and unbroken as possible.

Arrangement of Outbuildings.—The w.c.’s, here isolated, are in the Bournville blocks of four planned under the main roof, which arrangement is for many reasons preferable. As many as possible of the outbuildings should, in the case of small cottages, be arranged under the main roof. Often, where the outbuildings of these rows of cottages are extensive, one or more of the houses suffers through the projecting eaves of the other, and there is a narrow outlook upon a cramped yard. The better view of the garden obtained from the back rooms by the avoidance of this is an important consideration. The kitchen, in small property, is as much used as the living room, and the value of the restful glimpse of green to the housewife should not be ignored. (The isolation of the w.c. in the example under notice does not obstruct the light.) In the case of a corner site it is preferable to close in the yard at the back of the house, so that the week’s wash may not be exposed to the public view. It may be advanced, however, that such a domestic display is not really unsightly, but gives a pleasant human interest to the surroundings. Such an opinion, nevertheless, will probably not find general acceptance.

Heights of Rooms.—The height of the building will also be reduced to the lowest limit. The heights of 8 ft. 3 ins. for the ground floor, and 8 ft. for the chamber floor, are quite adequate for the average cottage, so long as sufficient ventilation is provided. There is some difficulty in getting the artisan to recognise this, for a lofty and often draughty and cold room seems to have an unaccountable attraction for him. As, however, floor space is the essential, the reduction of heights is in every way a legitimate means of economising the brickwork; moreover, the scale of the building is at the same time rendered more pleasing. With the height reduced, it will be necessary to introduce the casement window, as the sash kind requires a loftier elevation. This, however, will be no detriment, as the former is more agreeable and appropriate to the cottage home.

Extra Bedroom Accommodation.—If in any of the smaller types of cottages dealt with it is thought desirable to provide a fourth bedroom, or if larger bedrooms are required, an attic might be provided by slightly lifting the roof (where this is necessary), and the first floor might then be divided into two rooms or not, according to the requirements. Staircases, however, are expensive, and it is well for the sake of economy to provide bedrooms on the first floor. Where roof space is available this may be used for lumber, when the trap by which it is reached should be placed in the least important bedroom. The ceiling, however, should be slightly strengthened, and the bearing should not be too great.

Ornament.—The sound principle that beauty should be based on utility is often violated, even in the building of small cottages and villas, in order to gratify a vulgar taste for shoddy and meaningless display. Although the architect may not be entirely to blame for submitting to this preference, it is none the less certain that if he avail himself of such opportunities as occur to introduce a purer taste, the public will in time respond, while such efforts on his part will be always heartily approved by his fellow architects. The difficulty of inducing builders to stock ornament that is really good is merely one of demand. The public taste may after all be found to be more amenable than is commonly represented. A readiness on the part of the Bournville tenants to catch the spirit of homely simplicity suggested in the design of the houses has shown itself in the manner in which they furnish their homes, as, for instance, in their use of suitable curtains for the casement windows.

If it be decided that a row of cottages should have ornament, this should not be too small or crowded, and should be introduced in the right place—in the case of tight cottages, say in the third and the sixth, the unadorned ones serving as a foil. An excess of ornament should be avoided, especially if the aim is economy, and what there is should be broad and simple, for such, happily, is increasingly in favour in preference to the incongruous and florid stock carving of the jerry builder, which, bad as it is, must yet cost something. If money is to be spent, let preference be given first of all to the quality of the material used, and then to the extra elaboration of such material, such as rough-cast, parquetry, colour decoration, etc.

While the appearance of the elevation of the blocks of eight cottages here given is improved by the introduction over the doors of hoods with wrought-iron stays, the erection of two large posts with a horizontal cross-piece as a support for honeysuckle or climbing rose is not only cheaper, but is in the circumstances a more suitable way of adorning what is of necessity a plain elevation. The steps before the doorway should then be cut short, without returns, to enable the plant to be set as near as possible to the posts. The two steps are a necessity in order to secure good ventilation beneath the floors, where boarded floors are used.

The True Test of Economy.—Many jerry-built houses are the work of the speculating builder, who immediately on their completion sells them to one who buys to sell again. He secures himself, but with such inferior property someone must in the end suffer considerable loss. To say that a house has been built on economic lines because the cost of erection has been the lowest possible is to mislead, for the true test of economy is that which will take into account the cost of repairs at the end of ten years, and its then value. In designing cottages for an estate or garden city, the architect will therefore realise the importance of building dwellings that shall be lasting. He will perceive that to take the low cost of the jerry-built house as a standard will only lead him ultimately into endless trouble and expense. He will not, to save a trifling initial cost, incur a heavier one later on, for in this case the ownership of the house does not change, and maintenance is not a thing that can be shirked.

Foundations.—He will therefore see that there is a bed of concrete over the whole site, that his floors are well ventilated by allowing a good space between the under-side of ground floor joists and ground work, that the damp course is effectual, and also that plenty of air-bricks are inserted to ensure through ventilation, thus providing against the growth of dry-rot and all the expense it entails.

As the tenants of the cottages will doubtless be amateur gardeners who will probably add manure to the soil each year, the damp course is likely to get covered over; it is therefore essential that this should be at least six inches above the ground when the cottages are built.

Stock Articles.—Economy may always be exercised by using what are worthy stock articles of building, and in the case of a model village, where large orders will be given, the architect should make it his business to introduce new lines—moulds, doors, grates, mantels, etc.—the quality of which is first well proved. Stock sizes of building materials should be selected, and the planning should be adapted to them to avoid waste. For instance, joists should always be of such sizes as will prevent waste in the cutting of timbers. Joists are stocked in a definite number of foot lengths. Rooms of 12 ft. 4 ins. width, with 4 ins. bearing allowed at each end, will require joists of 13 ft. lengths, in which case there is no waste; on the other hand, rooms with 12 ft. 6 ins. width, with the same bearing, will require 14 ft. joist lengths, in which case 10 ins. in timber and the labour in cutting will be wasted, which the extra 2 ins. gained does not warrant; 12 ft. 4 ins., 13 ft. 4 ins., 14 ft. 4 ins., and so on, are therefore preferable dimensions. Again, if the size of the joists be 9 ins. × 3 ins., 27 ins. cube is obtained, which is not stronger than 11 ins. × 2 ins., giving 22 ins. cube. If the latter be chosen, therefore, 5 ins. cube are saved. True, the house will be raised in height, but not sufficiently to appreciably increase the cost. This is only one instance of how selection of material may be profitably studied.

General.—In the example given the staircase runs between the houses, and gives them a good wide frontage, bringing the outer houses nearer to the extremity of the land, and enabling a more convenient division of the gardens. It will be noticed that the bath in these small cottages is the “Cabinet” patent, which is strongly recommended on account of its being easily shut up and stowed away (see page [51]). The interior fittings are of the simplest and most inexpensive kind, such a thing as the ingle nook, however pleasing and comfortable, being reserved for a better class of cottage. Ample cupboard room, nevertheless, is provided, and it should be noted that such conveniences as cloak rails, cup-rails and hooks, picture rails, etc., are fixed in all the cottages dealt with. Small gas cookers or grills should be included in all cottages, whether large or small. White’s patent steam exhaust should also be fitted in all cottages.

THE LAYING OUT OF GARDENS.

GARDEN PLAN.

The garden, a feature of such importance in the model village, or garden city, should have no less care and attention in the planning than the house itself. The accompanying plan is one frequently adopted at Bournville where the aspect is suitable. The arrangement is modified in the case of the smallest cottages by the reduction or omission of turf. The bedding, with the various trees and shrubs supplied, is indicated on the plan.

With the large garden-space allotted, the paths should be broad and, generally speaking, planned in straight lines, the width being not less than 3 ft.—even 4 ft. not being too wide. At Bournville they are made of 6 ins. of ashes and 3 ins. of gravel. Where there is turf the path should run at one extremity of the garden plot, giving the full width remaining for as spacious a lawn as possible. At the bottom of the lawn it might be turned to the left or right, as the case may be, as far as the centre, and carried down through the kitchen garden so that the fruit trees and vegetables may be easily accessible on either hand. With a south aspect, however, it is advisable to still continue the path down one side, the shadow of the adjacent hedge thus being cast not on the beds but on the path itself. It should be borne in mind that in laying out the beds all peas and beans, raspberry canes, etc., are best planted north and south in order that the whole length of the rows may get the sun. The tendency is for amateur gardeners to favour winding paths, by which space is lost, besides the arrangement being inconvenient. The curved line is rarely in harmony with the setting of the cottage, and curves, if introduced, should be gained rather in the planting of trees or flowers, curves in colour being more pleasing.

The number of trees, etc., provided in each of the Bournville gardens is:—eight apple and pear trees, assorted according to the nature of the soil, which, in addition to bearing fruit, form a desirable screen between houses which are back to back; twelve gooseberry bushes, one Victoria plum, six creepers for the house, including Gloire de Dijon and William Allen Richardson roses, wistaria, honeysuckle, clematis, ivy in a number of varieties, Ampelopsis veitchii, white and yellow jasmine, etc., according to the aspect, as well as one or two forest trees, so placed as to frame the building. Hedges of thorn divide the houses, and form road boundaries. The choice of trees and creepers is determined not only by the suitability of soil or aspect, but also by the general effect gained.

BLOCKS, PAIRS, AND SINGLE COTTAGES.

PLATES XIV. AND XV.
BLOCK OF FOUR COTTAGES.

FRONT ELEVATION

GROUND PLAN

BEDROOM PLAN

In the ascending scale we now come to a block of four, containing houses of two classes. The cost of each is approximately the same, and the advantages are about equal. The outside houses have a side entrance with lobby and outer porch, thereby making the front room quite private, while in the inside ones the front door opens into the room, which has, however, the advantage of being more spacious.

Use of the Ingle Nook in Small Cottages.—The introduction of an ingle nook in this latter secures to it a greater degree of comfort, and privacy from the road is also gained by the extension of the screen. Complete privacy may be secured by attaching a rod from the screen to the outside wall and dropping a curtain. The ingle is lighted by borrowed light from the half-glass door, the light passing through the glazed wooden screen. In this case the ingle nook may be said to be the natural outcome of the plan. The staircase in these inside houses is at the side of the ingle, and affords space beneath for a cupboard, which is reached from the kitchen. The staircase in the outside houses is approached near the window of the living room, and admits of space in like manner for a larder, which is entered from the lobby.

Ventilation.—It will be seen that the larder, in the case of the two middle houses, is arranged within the house, between the coals and the living room. Larders, wherever possible, should have an outside window, but in this case ventilation is very easily obtained in the following manner:—An inlet of a 9-in. pipe enters the larder on the floor level from air bricks in the front wall, while in the coals at the back a concrete division is inserted at a height of 5 ft. 6 ins. or 5 ft. 9 ins. (the ground floor of the house from floor to ceiling being in this instance 8 ft. 6 ins.). Through a fanlight above the outside door of coals not only is light obtained, but, by means of a cord and pulley worked from the larder, through ventilation also, while there is no danger of the invasion of coal dust.

In both houses there is little space wasted. In the outside ones the living rooms are entered immediately from the lobby, and the bedrooms immediately from a small landing, while there is a useful closet over the stairs, entered from the front bedroom.

The projection in this block gives variety to the street, and is the natural outcome of the requirements of the houses. The type is self-contained, and privacy is secured to the householders by the introduction of the side entrance to the outside houses, and by the arrangement of the doorways to the middle ones at the remote ends.

Materials.—Brindled bricks, hand-made tiles, and casement windows of wood are here used, and the brickwork of the kitchen is pointed for whitewashing, with a 4-ft. dado of paint. In these smaller cottages it is advisable to employ papers for interior wall decoration in preference to colour-wash, the latter being very soon soiled where there are children. Picture rails should be used in all cottages, if only to save the plaster.

Accommodation.—The accommodation of the respective houses is as follows:—

Ground Floor.

Bedroom Floor.

PLATE XV.
BLOCK OF FOUR COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [25].

Total cost, including all extras and builder’s profit, £872 per block, or £218 per cottage. Laying out of gardens, £10 per cottage.

Cubical contents, 48,295 ft. at 4⅓d. per foot cube, £872, or £218 per cottage.[*]

FRONT ELEVATION BLOCK OF THREE COTTAGES.

The elevation shown in the accompanying illustration is of a block of three cottages, the two outside ones of which are similar to those shown on the foregoing plan. This is an example of how the same plan may be repeated with varied effect, or where there is not sufficient land for four.

[*]NOTE.—As most of the examples given have been built by the Bournville Village Trust, it should be noted that the figures stated include in all cases an addition to the net cost of 3¾% as builder’s profit.

Where there is any marked difference in the price per foot cube not accounted for by more complicated planning, or by the better quality of materials, this is due, not only to the fluctuation of building prices during the last few years, but also to the variation in the cost of building at different periods of the year.

The extras include fencing, garden gates, etc.

PLATES XVI. AND XVII.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

FRONT ELEVATION

GROUND PLAN

BEDROOM PLAN

Variation of Former Plan.—The plan shown in Plate [xvi.] and illustrated in Plate [xvii.], is of a pair similar to the outside cottages of Plate [xiv.] This again shows how it is possible to play on the same plan in the building of a village, and so gain the desirable variety of elevation. The roof is hipped and covered with pantiles. A bay window is introduced in both the storeys, with rough-cast between. A rainwater cistern to store all roof water is placed over the coals, which projects from the main block. A greater privacy is obtained by this slight projection, without interfering with the light at the back. The chimneys are grouped together in the centre, there being only one stack to both the houses, which is carried to the highest point of the roof.

PLATE XVII.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [28].

Total cost of cottages built to this plan, including all extras, £230 per cottage.

Laying out of gardens, £10 per cottage.

Cubical contents, 22,000 ft. at 5d. per foot cube, £460, or £230 per cottage.

PLATE XVIII.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

FRONT ELEVATION

GROUND PLAN

BEDROOM PLAN

The plan and elevation shown on this plate are of an alternative arrangement to the last. The houses have an entrance at the front and an extended larder, owing to the staircases ascending from the lobby. The fireplaces are arranged in the corners of the rooms.

PLATE XIX.

PLATE XIX.
SEE PAGE [28].

The view here given shows three pairs of cottages built to the plan shown on Plate [xvi.], and illustrates how a variety of elevation may be gained by adding bays, dormers, etc., and by using differing materials.

DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XX.

PLATE XX.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

Variation of Former Plan.—This plate shows the development and variation of the inside houses of the block of four shown on Plate [xiv.], with a superior arrangement of larder, and with projecting coals. The long sloping roof has been hipped back to give a pleasing line, especially in perspective.

The Long Sloping Roof.—The long sloping roof, a feature frequently introduced at Bournville, has several advantages. If it were not employed, and the front walls were carried up level with the ceiling line of the bedroom, the proportions of the elevation would not be so happy, while an additional expense would be incurred by the extra brickwork. Such a height, moreover, would be wholly unnecessary. In the case of cottages with the long sloping roof the height of bedrooms to the point of intersection of roof and wall need only be 5 ft. 6 ins. Ample ventilation is obtained by the simple insertion of a 9 in. by 7 in. air-brick on the outside wall, and a Sheringham ventilator or Tobin tube within, about 5 ft. 6 ins. from the floor, the cost of the latter being about 3s., and of the former a little more. The long sloping roof can rarely be treated tastefully without boldly projecting the eaves. The projection gives a verandah in front of the house which affords a pleasant shelter. Wooden posts may be used as supports, and by training climbing plants up them, and allowing them to festoon, a really delightful summer bower may be formed. As the roof is broad, pantiles may be used with safety so far as good taste is concerned: bold roof, bold covering. By omitting the gutters at the dormer eaves a pleasing effect is gained, and gutters are quite unnecessary with an eaves projection. The cheeks of the dormers should be dressed with lead. The cottages in question are whitewashed, and have a tarred plinth of about 2 ft. to prevent the unsightliness of mud splashes.

FRONT ELEVATION

GROUND PLAN

BEDROOM PLAN

The Large Living Room.—In view of the gain to health of one spacious living room over the parlour plan, a number of these cottages has been built in varying design at Bournville, and no difficulty has been found in letting them. There has been, however, considerable discussion with regard to their convenience to the artisan in other districts where they have been introduced. Although cottages in the past had no third room, there having been, as here, one large comfortable room (often with the ingle nook) and a small kitchen at the back—all the accommodation really required—yet at the present time many artisans are not content without the useless parlour, which they appear to think adds dignity to the house, but which is used by them chiefly as a store-room for gim-cracks. There is, perhaps, a reasonable objection to a single large living room on the part of a particular class who let the front room to a lodger. Nevertheless, for a model village or a garden city it is strongly recommended that the plan should be adopted freely, and the preference for the useless front room in small cottages discouraged.

Total cost of the example given, including all extras, £268 per cottage.

Laying out of gardens, £10 each.

Cubical contents, 28,587 ft., at 4½d. per foot cube, £536, or £268 per cottage.

Instances of the last two types of cottages dealt with appear in the view given on Plate [iv].

PLATE XXI.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

PLATE XXI.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [32].

The smaller cottage shown here is planned on similar lines to the foregoing, but with the additional accommodation of an attic, and bay windows to the two storeys. This is an instance of how a smaller cottage may be joined to a larger one in treating a corner site, the larger one on the corner giving importance to each road.

PLATES XXII., XXIII., I. (FRONTISPIECE), XXIV., XXV., AND XXVI.
BLOCKS OF FOUR.

PLATE XXII.
BLOCK OF FOUR COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [32].

PLATE XXIII.
BLOCK OF FOUR COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [32].

PLATE XXIV.
BLOCK OF FOUR COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [32].

These plates show examples of cottages in blocks of four rather larger in size than the last type, and treated in different materials. Plate [xxvi.] shows the details of the cottages on Plate [xxv.]

PLATE XXV.
BLOCK OF FOUR COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [32].

PLATE XXVI.
DETAIL VIEW.
SEE PAGE [32].

PLATE XXVII.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

FRONT ELEVATION

GROUND PLAN

BEDROOM PLAN

Plate [xxvii.] gives the plan and elevation of a pair of cottages also having similar accommodation to those with the long sloping roofs shown on Plate [xx.] The cost, however, is here considerably reduced by each house having a side entrance, and by the omission of the ingle nook, verandah and bay, while the living room, though smaller, is not a passage room. By approaching the stairs from the lobby, not only is more privacy secured, but the space beneath is made available in the kitchen for a “Cabinet” bath, which is so placed as to occupy it when in use instead of projecting into the kitchen. The planning is simple and square, which, with the omission of bays and the introduction of plain casements, all helps to reduce the cost.

The accommodation is:—

Ground Floor.

Living Room, 12 ft. 4 ins. × 16 ft. Kitchen, 10 ft. 3 ins. × 11 ft. 6 ins. Lobby. Larder, w.c. and Coals.

Bedroom Floor.

First Bedroom, 12 ft. 4 ins. × 16 ft. Second Bedroom, 7 ft. 8 ins. × 11 ft. 6 ins. Third Bedroom, 8 ft. × 8 ft. 3 ins. Linen Closet.

Total cost, including all extras, £250 per cottage.

Laying out of gardens, £10 each.

Cubical contents, 24,000 ft., at 5d. per foot cube, £500, or £250 per cottage.

PLATE XXVIII.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

FRONT ELEVATION

GROUND PLAN

BEDROOM PLAN

This plate shows the plan and elevation of a pair of cottages having the parlour in addition to the living room and scullery. The living room, which should always be the larger, is here the full width of the house. The measurements are:—

Ground Floor.

Living Room, 11 ft. 5 ins. × 16 ft. 6 ins. Parlour, 11 ft. 4 ins. × 13 ft. 3 ins. Scullery, Outside Larder, w.c. and Coals.

Bedroom Floor.

First Bedroom, 11 ft. 4 ins. × 13 ft. 3 ins. Second Bedroom, 8 ft. 6 ins. × 11 ft. 5 ins. Third Bedroom, 7 ft. 8 ins. × 8 ft. 6 ins. Linen Closet.

Total cost, including all extras, £230 per cottage. Cubical contents, 33,918 ft. at 3¼d. per ft. cube. £460, or £230 each. (Built in 1899.)

The stairs in this instance descend to the entrance lobby, but they may be planned the other way about in order to avoid the necessity of traversing the parlour to get to the bedrooms, and to insure children crying upstairs being heard in the living room or the scullery. This, however, would necessitate the cutting of 3 ft. off the large front bedroom, while the respective spaces for the larder and the lobby below would be reversed, the position of the former being undesirable.

Ordinary roofing tiles and common bricks have been used. The living room is boarded, and the scullery quarried.

It might be pointed out that there is but little scope for variety of plan in these smaller cottages. The variations must be obtained in the treatment of elevations. As already stated, to build cheaply the main point is to get the walls as long and straight as possible.

FRONT ELEVATION

PLATES XXIX. AND XXX.
BLOCK OF THREE COTTAGES.

GROUND PLAN

BEDROOM PLAN

Plate [xxix.] and the accompanying scale-drawing give the plan and elevation of a block of three cottages, a sketch of which appears in Plate [xxx.] The inner one occupies an exact third of the land, and is double fronted. By putting the inner one with its axis to the front, an equal garden-space is given to all the houses without incurring a re-division of the land.

PLATE XXX.
BLOCK OF THREE COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [35].

The inner and left-hand houses have practically the same accommodation, but the right-hand has several advantages: there is a wider hall, the living room is not a passage room, while the kitchen is reached from the hall, and the wash-house is entered from the yard.

Accommodation of left-hand and inner houses.

Ground Floor.

Parlour, 11 ft. 4 ins. × 15 ft. 3 ins. Living Room, 10 ft. × 14 ft. 6 ins. and bay. Scullery, 10 ft. × 6 ft. and recess for Bath. Coals, Tools, and w.c.

Bedroom Floor.

First Bedroom, 11 ft. 4 ins. × 15 ft. 3 ins. Second Bedroom, 7 ft. 6 ins. × 14 ft. 6 ins., and bay. Third Bedroom, 7 ft. 5 ins. × 11 ft. 6 ins. Fourth Bedroom, 9 ft. 6 ins. × 6 ft. (middle house only). Linen Closet.

Cost of left-hand and inner houses, including all extras, £293 per cottage. (Built in 1904.)

The right-hand house, owing to the extra conveniences, works out at rather more.

In the middle house the recess between the range and small window makes a very convenient space for a writing table, especially if curtains are dropped from a rod to screen it off, its proximity to the range making it a warm and cosy retreat in winter. There is a bay window to the living room of the outside houses.

Two of the houses in this block are fitted with Cornes’ Patent Combined Scullery-Bath-Range and Boiler, described on page 52, and the third with the “Cabinet” bath.

The elevation, with the forecourt formed by the projection of the two outside houses, may be made very pleasing. From the perspective it will be seen that the inner house is covered with rough-cast, making an agreeable contrast with the outer ones of plain brickwork. Rough-cast, while fairly economical, is very effective, and helps to brighten the forecourt. The projection of the outer houses affords a break, the abruptness of which does not attract attention, but which gives an opportunity of stopping the rough-cast, which would otherwise have to be carried round to the back of the whole block.

It is not advisable to introduce a variety of colour upon exteriors. Colour is best disposed in masses—that is, it should be treated broadly, not distributed in isolated portions, or in sharply contrasting tints. (See page [59].)

The roof of this block is of green slates of varying sizes, diminishing towards the ridge.

Aspect in the placing of the house is here studied as well as the site. The axis runs south-west and north-east, and the front commands a pleasing perspective of one of the principal Bournville roads, and an admirable view of the Lickey Hills in the distance.

DESCRIPTIONS OF PLATES XXXI.-XXXIII.

PLATE XXXI.
PAIR OF COTTAGES (SHALLOW SITE).

PLATE XXXI.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [38].

The view shown in this plate illustrates the treatment of a shallow corner site, the block being a pair of semi-detached, double-fronted cottages. The plan is similar to the middle house of the foregoing block.

PLATE XXXII.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

PLATE XXXII.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [38].

A pair of cottages also planned on the same lines as the middle house shown in Plate [xxix.] and the foregoing shallow-site pair, but placed at right angles instead of lengthwise, and occupying a corner position.

PLATE XXXIII.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

PLATE XXXIII.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [38].

An example of a pair of cottages treated in the Dutch style.

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES XXXIV. AND XXXV.

PLATE XXXIV.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

FRONT ELEVATION

GROUND PLAN

BEDROOM PLAN

The accommodation of the pair of cottages shown in this plate is as follows:—

Ground Floor.

Parlour, 11 ft. 4 ins. × 13 ft. 6 ins., and bay. Living room, 11 ft. 6 ins. × 14 ft. 5 ins. (French Windows). Kitchen, 10 ft. 8 ins. × 12 ft. 3 ins. Larder. Porch, Hall, and Clock Space under stairs. Tools, w.c., and Coals (Enclosed yard).

Bedroom Floor.

First Bedroom, 11 ft. 4 ins. × 13 ft. 6 ins. Second Bedroom, 11 ft. 6 ins. × 14 ft. 5 ins. Third Bedroom, 8 ft. 6 ins. × 10 ft. 8 ins. Bath Room (hot and cold water).

Height of rooms: Ground floor, 8 ft. 9 ins.; first floor, 8 ft. 6 ins.

Total cost, including all extras, £375 per cottage.

Laying out of gardens, £12 10s. each.

Cubical contents, 34,285 ft., at 5¼d. per foot cube = £375 per cottage. (Built in 1903.)

Materials.—Whitewashed common bricks are here used. Whitewash is cheap and may be used very effectively, especially where there are trees in the background. The roofs and dormers are hipped, and covered with Welsh green slates and blue half-round ridges; the chimney pots are buff-colour.

Sills.—The sills, as in many of the other houses, are formed of calf-nosed bricks set on edge in cement, with two courses of tiles beneath, which form a drip under the sill, and with a backing of slate in cement. By bringing the window-frame forward to reduce the size of the top of the sill, damp and the driving in of rain are prevented. This makes an inexpensive sill, and adds to the homely appearance of the cottage.

Interior Wall Decoration.—The interior wall decoration is Duresco throughout. Plain ingrain paper, of which there is a number of very cheap kinds now on the market, might be used with a frieze. A good effect is obtained by bringing down the white from the ceiling as far as the picture rail, which gives light to the room and improves its proportions.

The exterior woodwork is painted a Verona green.

Fireplaces.—Fireplaces suitable for this or any of the six-roomed cottages are as follows:—

Front Room: interior grate, slabbed surrounds, tiled hearth, and white wood chimney piece. Living Room: iron tiled mantel-sham. Kitchen: 3 ft. range with white tiled coves and York stone shelf and trusses. Front Bedroom: 30 in. mantel-sham and tiled hearth. Back Bedrooms: 24 in. mantel-sham and tiled hearth.

The total cost of the whole should not amount to more than £12.

The scullery is lengthened by a projection in the nature of a bay. The outbuildings, which are carried to right and left of the pair, give privacy to the garden near to the houses.

PLATE XXXV.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.

This plate illustrates one of several different treatments of the last plan.

PLATE XXXV.
PAIR OF COTTAGES.
SEE PAGE [41].

PLATES XXXVI., XXXVII., AND XXXVIII.
SINGLE COTTAGE.

FRONT ELEVATION

SIDE ELEVATION

GROUND PLAN

BEDROOM PLAN

Plate [xxxvi.] gives the plan of a single cottage occupying a corner site. It contains:—

Ground Floor.

Drawing Room, 12 ft. 6 ins. × 13 ft. 6 ins., and bay. Dining Room, 13 ft. × 13 ft., and bay (French casements). Kitchen, 10 ft. × 11 ft. Scullery, 8 ft. × 10 ft. Larder. Porch and Hall, with Cloak Space under stairs. Coals, Tools, and w.c.

Bedroom Floor.

First Bedroom, 13 ft. 6 ins. × 15 ft. 9 ins. Second Bedroom, 11 ft. 6 ins. × 13 ft. Third Bedroom, 10 ft. × 13 ft. Dressing Room. Cupboards. Bathroom, with w.c. and Lavatory (hot and cold water).

As will be seen, there is very little space wasted in the planning of the rooms.

The whole of the exterior is rough-cast. The front bedroom is enlarged and projects over the ground floor, giving a pleasant shade to the lower portion of the elevation, while the roof is continued over one side and carried down to form the porch. The gable is of half-timber framing.

The roof is covered with Hartshill hand-made tiles, which, while richly toning and colouring, have admirably stood the test of several years’ hard weather, and have proved much more durable than the pressed tile used for some of the other cottages at Bournville.

The plan of the cottage might be simplified by gabling back and front, the roof thus covering the whole building, and having no valleys. The bedroom accommodation could be then increased by the addition of attics.

Two views of the actual example appear in Plates [xxxvii.] and [xxxviii.]