Justice
A Tour of Britain's Endearing, Semi-Detached Homes
Built between World Wars I and II, the style remains synonymous with suburban culture in the U.K. today.
When the U.K. band Manfred Mann sang of "semi-detached suburban Mr. James" in 1966, it was not in praise of the man or of his dwelling. "Mr. James" symbolized the dull suburbanite culture of 1960s England—a lifestyle that the lead singer's love interest had apparently chosen over him.
Semi-detached housing, where two homes are separated by one wall, remains ubiquitous in Britain's middle-class suburbs. Most popular in the 20th century, the emerging housing type (known simply as a "semi") provided an escape from dirty cities and their crowded apartments, yet were dense enough to still be affordable. Approximately 3 million semis were built in the U.K. between World Wars I and II.