CHANGES IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ARCHITECTURE

CHANGES IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ARCHITECTURE

During this period of intense industrialization the landscape of the countryside was transformed. New towns were established and industrial centres became even bigger, crowded with more factories and warehouses. At the same time, the increases in production made necessary the creation of a well-organized system of transport. With the adoption of the steam engine in locomotives, transportation of goods became quicker, easier, cheaper and more reliable. Railways expanded significantly and the new railway connections boosted coastal towns as well as previously remote and isolated provincial towns. Improved roads were built and new iron bridges were erected in areas where previously communication had been difficult. At the same time, navigation through rivers and canals expanded the distribution network of raw materials, livestock and consumer goods, and the major industries consequently benefited greatly from the new advances in communications. The first canals were dug in Lancashire and others soon followed, connecting industrial centres with ports, coalfields and trading centres. Liverpool, for example, was connected by canals to Manchester and its thriving textile industry.

Following the expansion of urban centres, ports and transport networks, changes also took place in the architecture of the cities, with the construction of new housing as well as grand public buildings, such as town halls and libraries, botanical gardens and concert halls. A revival of the neo-classical and gothic styles created a visual link to a glorious past and stood as a testament to a city’s grandeur and urban prosperity, inspiring a sense of civic pride. Such pride is evident in a number of the provincial banknotes issued in the 18th and 19th centuries, which include vignettes of new public buildings or historical landmarks. [5]