WW2 17: Post-war rebuilding

WW2 17 F7462.85 'Folkestone from Dover Hill'. 3 pieces to make the entire picture. Right third of whole picture. By J.F.H Davies (4)

This is after WW2 has finished. What has been built, and why?

Post war Prefabs: Britain’s factory-made Palaces

After World War 2 lots of new houses had to be built to replace those destroyed in the bombing.

A quick solution was to build temporary prefabricated homes, known as ‘prefabs’, until more substantial brick-built houses could be constructed.

Many of the Prefabs were manufactured by the aircraft industry using aluminium. Others were made from steel and timber.

Prefabs had two bedrooms, a toilet and bathroom. The fitted kitchen had a fridge, a cooker, running hot water and a boiler to do the washing. There was built-in storage, electric lights and sockets. For many people, Prefabs offered a huge advance in their quality of life.

They were supposed to last 10 to 15 years, but many were so popular their residents successfully campaigned to save them from demolition. They proved as permanent as any other housing.

In this 1950s photo of Folkestone, from Dover Hill, we can see about 50 prefabs in Hollands Avenue in the foreground. Others were erected at Biggins Wood, Cheriton.