http://www.awalkaroundbritain.com/knowledge/landscape/human-landscape/window-tax-illuminated-socio-archaeology Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:52:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 http://www.awalkaroundbritain.com/knowledge/landscape/human-landscape/window-tax-illuminated-socio-archaeology/comment-page-1/#comment-267 Linda Hall Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:17:54 +0000 http://www.awalkaroundbritain.com/#comment-267 Actually Window Tax replaced Hearth Tax, not the other way round. Charles II introduced Hearth Tax in the 1660s to fund the Dutch Wars, but it was even more unpopular than the Window tax later became and only lasted a few years. It did leave some very useful documents for researchers into history and architecture. Dairies and cheese rooms were exempt from Window Tax as long as they were clearly labelled as such, and it is not uncommon to see Cheese Room painted in large letters on an attic door or Dairy, Dayhouse, or Milkhouse above a dairy window. This can be on a separate board nailed over the window or carved into the stone of the lintel (in areas of stone buildings) - there's one in the square in the middle of Montacute in Somerset. Actually Window Tax replaced Hearth Tax, not the other way round. Charles II introduced Hearth Tax in the 1660s to fund the Dutch Wars, but it was even more unpopular than the Window tax later became and only lasted a few years. It did leave some very useful documents for researchers into history and architecture. Dairies and cheese rooms were exempt from Window Tax as long as they were clearly labelled as such, and it is not uncommon to see Cheese Room painted in large letters on an attic door or Dairy, Dayhouse, or Milkhouse above a dairy window. This can be on a separate board nailed over the window or carved into the stone of the lintel (in areas of stone buildings) – there’s one in the square in the middle of Montacute in Somerset.

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