Another subcategory of Victorian is the Jacobethan architectural style. The name came around long after the style reached its height of popularity. The name was coined in the 1930s by John Betjemen, and may sometimes be referred to as Jacobean Revival. The Jacobethan style is a combination of the Jacobean style and its predecessor the Elizabethan style. The name stuck, and this is primarily how the style is now known. Jacobethan style is English Early Renaissance architecture and decoration. It formed a transition between the Elizabethan (Tudor) and the pure Renaissance style later introduced by Inigo Jones during James I’s reign.
The main details that exist in the Jacobean style include cusped Tudor arches, details carved into brick, steep roof gables, stone trim around doors and windows lighter than the rest of the home, porches supported by pillars, and high chimneys.
Distinctive gables, window, and chimneys are used to emphasize the forms. The outer walls are often composed principally of brick combined with stone—or frequently terra-cotta imitating stone—in the form of cornices, parapets, and door and window surrounds. Gables rise above the roofline, and bay windows project outward from the wall surfaces. Larger buildings use towers and turrets (see second photo).
This architectural style is found primarily around England, having never really traveled outside of the country. There are several prominent U.K.
landmarks that are wonderful examples, including Harlaxton Manor in Linconshire, Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, and Sandringham House in Norfolk.
Another very well-known building in England that has its roots in the Jacobean style is none other than the Houses of Parliament building. There was a competition to see who could come up with the best Gothic or Elizabethan style for the new building, and of the nearly one hundred designs that were submitted only six of them were truly Elizabethan in style. The rest were a combination of Gothic, Jacobean, or another style altogether.
It wasn’t until much later, the beginning of the 20th century in fact, that the Jacobean style made its way across the ocean into and into North America. While the architectural structures never really caught on over there like they did in the U.K., there are still a few examples scattered throughout the United States and Canada that have the influence, as well as some of the government buildings in Australia.