A vision of Britain through time
A vision of Britain between 1801 and 2001.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
The first census to report on how well people were housed was that of 1891, but the only
statistics gathered were on the number of rooms and the number of people in each household.
From 1951 onwards, more questions were asked about 'amenities', meaning specific facilities
that households either possessed or had shared access to.
One interesting measure of progress is the change in the amenities covered by the census.
In 1951, these were piped water, a cooking stove, a kitchen sink, a 'water closet' meaning
a flush toilet, and a 'fixed bath', as distinct from a tin bath hung on the wall between uses.
In 2001, the list of key amenities was shorter: central heating, and 'sole use of
bath/shower and toilet'.
Differences in what information was recorded by each census complicate comparisons over time,
and none of our three measures are entirely consistent.
Our detailed statistics are held in structures called nCubes, which you can think of as tables with one dimension, or with two ... or with twenty. Their dimensions are defined by the variables each nCube combines, and each variable is made up of categories. These nCubes are available at national level for this theme:
| Available nCubes | Period covered | Variables (number of categories) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Houses | 1831 to 1901 |
Total Houses
(1) |
| House Occupancy | 1831 to 1901 |
Housing Occupancy
(3) |
| House Occupancy 10 years earlier | 1881 to 1901 |
Housing Occupancy
(3) |
| Total Households | 1901 |
Total Households
(4) |