Another booklet, devoted to the interiors of Wolverton houses, needs to be written! Remember most were built before bathrooms, inside loos or central heating, so a lot has happened to their interiors to fit with the fashion and needs of each era.

The larger the house, the grander the interior decoration would have been. Moulded cornices, picture rails, large ornate fireplaces and mahogany handrails were not uncommon. However, nearly all the Victorian and Edwardian houses would have had attractive fireplaces in the parlour, often made of slate, painted to resemble marble. In the bedrooms there would be small cast iron fireplaces. The floorboards, which showed around the carpets, in the reception rooms and bedrooms were varnished or wood grained.

The kitchen had a cast iron range for boiling the kettle and cooking. The trough sink, sometimes called a Belfast or butlers sink, would have been glazed white or cream stone-ware. The floor was covered with glazed red tiles or a checkerboard design in red and blue. If the house had a cellar, the door usually led off the kitchen. Some cellars had more than one room paved with tiles or bricks.

The Wolverton Society has discovered that there are houses in the town which still have a kitchen range; a few have their gas light fittings; one or two have ‘private’ underground reservoirs to provide domestic water. Some residents have uncovered wallpaper dating from the 1880’s. If you are lucky enough to have original features in your house, do preserve them. Not only are they part of domestic history, they add value to your house! Wolverton Society for Arts & Heritage are recording details of original features in Wolverton homes and would be pleased to hear from you.

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