Woodfield (LONDON): One of Canada's finest Victorian neighbourhoods

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London Vernacular

These are examples of London's vernacular housing, 1.5 storey yellow brick with lots of shingles and woodwork. Houses like this
are found throughout London's older neighbourhoods, often in rows of similar houses.

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Double Houses

"Double houses" (as they are often called in London) are very common in this neighbourhood. They must have been popular with the middle class.













Later examples:





Richardsonian Romanesque:


The large lots allow townhouses to be a litte wider than usual.








Some slightly more urban scenes:

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Rowhouses

London was not a city of rowhouses but there are some great examples still in existence. There are only a few other "terraces"
in the city, mainly in the Talbot area.


The ones that exist are mostly top quality examples



This Second Empire example was built in 1881.





Some plainer rowhouses

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Apartment Buildings

There are some very nice older apartment buildings closer to downtown:

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Cottages

Woodfield was always a mixed income neighbourhood. There are plenty of small cottages, many of them are classic "Ontario Gothic"
with centre gable over the door.

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Some more views from around the neighbourhood:

[xzmattzx]

Excellent pictures. I walked around Woodfield with Jaybird from SSC and I thought that it was a really great neighborhood. I loved the tree-lined streets, and the yellow brick was a surprise to me.

I'm a little disappointed in you. Where's your picture of the Banting House National Historic Site on Adelaide Street, where insulin was discovered?

[flar]

^^Your shot of Banting House can be an honourary part of the tour.

I avoided Dundas and Adelaide streets for this tour.

[kool maudit]

i remember being very young and going on a field trip to an "elm house," or something of the sort, which was reputed to be haunted. is this house (if i have it right) in this area?

[flar]

^^Eldon House. It's not in this neighbourhood, but it will be in my next London neighbourhood tour (which I will post very soon).

[OhioGuy]

Looks like London has some good housing.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by flar

^^Eldon House. It's not in this neighbourhood, but it will be in my next London neighbourhood tour (which I will post very soon).

I'm looking forward to your next London neighborhood tour. Londond seems like it has some nice neighborhoods, but I only got to explore Woodfield (and Downtown, and Richmond Row). I've heard that Wortley Village, Old East Village, and Broughdale are pretty nice.

[flar]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

I'm looking forward to your next London neighborhood tour. Londond seems like it has some nice neighborhoods, but I only got to explore Woodfield (and Downtown, and Richmond Row). I've heard that Wortley Village, Old East Village, and Broughdale are pretty nice.

The other neighbourhood I took pictures of was the Talbot area, the oldest part of London. The other two major tours to do in London would be Wortley Village/Old South and Old East Village (the gritty part of London).

Other neighbourhoods in London that are worthy of tours: Hamilton Road and the old working class neighbourhoods around it, the older area north of Oxford Street between the river and Adelaide (especially around St. Joseph's Hospital), and the small neighbourhood west of the Thames to Wharnecliffe. Broughdale is a good example of older suburbia (and there are others, such as south along Ridout). There is a small area of older homes around Stanley St. and the Ridgeway that is interesting. The Ridgeway has some nice Victorian houses and there is at least one rowhouse on Stanley (of which there are less than 20 in the whole city).

The University of Western Ontario would also make for a nice tour, it's a very nice campus.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by flar

The other neighbourhood I took pictures of was the Talbot area, the oldest part of London. The other two major tours to do in London would be Wortley Village/Old South and Old East Village (the gritty part of London).

Other neighbourhoods in London that are worthy of tours: Hamilton Road and the old working class neighbourhoods around it, the older area north of Oxford Street between the river and Adelaide (especially around St. Joseph's Hospital), and the small neighbourhood west of the Thames to Wharnecliffe. Broughdale is a good example of older suburbia (and there are others, such as south along Ridout). There is a small area of older homes around Stanley St. and the Ridgeway that is interesting. The Ridgeway has some nice Victorian houses and there is at least one rowhouse on Stanley (of which there are less than 20 in the whole city).

The University of Western Ontario would also make for a nice tour, it's a very nice campus.

I remember taking Hamilton Road to get to Downtown. It seemed interesting, albeit a little gritty and unspectacular.

[Blitz]

Very nice photos, the yellow brick sure is common around this part of the province - it's in all the little towns too. The older neighbourhoods in London are quite a contrast from the older neighbourhoods in Windsor...you really get a sense of the American influence down there.

I actually live across the street from Eldon House so I'm looking forward to seeing that tour too!

[flar]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

I remember taking Hamilton Road to get to Downtown. It seemed interesting, albeit a little gritty and unspectacular.

Hamilton Road is fairly unspectacular, as are the residential areas around it, although they are of some interest as examples of London vernacular housing. The sidestreets around there have rows of similar 1.5 storey single detached houses. London is generally not very "urban", perhaps because it's not a big city or maybe because there was no geographic restriction forcing residents to conserve space. It could also be because London has long been a magnet for people from the small towns of Southwestern Ontario, who are used to plenty of space and a town-like setting.

Originally Posted by Blitz

Very nice photos, the yellow brick sure is common around this part of the province - it's in all the little towns too. The older neighbourhoods in London are quite a contrast from the older neighbourhoods in Windsor...you really get a sense of the American influence down there.

I actually live across the street from Eldon House so I'm looking forward to seeing that tour too!

There are definitely distinct architectural traditions in different parts of Southern Ontario. The towns of the high land in the middle of Southern Ontario, of which London is almost the centre, seem to share a similar light and intricate woodworking style and the use of that light yellow brick.

[photoLith]

Are these houses protected like in an historic district or something? They are incredibly beautiful and very well preserved.

[hagbard]

Great photos. Hard to believe that a place with such great architecture is so near a place where its totally lacking (Essex County). Now if only I can convince my wife to settle in London over Leamington.

[ForestryW]

Originally Posted by flar

London is generally not very "urban", perhaps because it's not a big city or maybe because there was no geographic restriction forcing residents to conserve space. It could also be because London has long been a magnet for people from the small towns of Southwestern Ontario, who are used to plenty of space and a town-like setting.

If by "urban" you're describing high density older neighbourhoods with small walk-ups and rowhouses (like much of Hamilton and parts of Toronto) I think the lack of such architecture in London is mostly because the "urban" parts of other cities are former industrial slums. London never had the huge manufacturing base that cities like Toronto and Hamilton did and thus had no need to house thousands of laborers at a very low cost. Hence, few dense inner city neighbourhoods.

[TinChelseaNYC]

As usual, I prefer the cottages. I guess that makes me a bit low rent. So be it.

Are you an architect or just a buff? Very nice tour, as usual.