In article ,
"Don" writes:

"John" wrote in message
...
Sorry - but I can't remember the opinions given to the point about most
terraced houses having a step down into the kitchen and the back bedroom.
Would anyone care to refresh my memory as I mentioned the fact to someone
and they are now seeking an answer to this never before noticed fact.


I've lived in a couple of terraced houses where there was a step down into
the kitchen, but originally it was a scullery/ wash house & I assumed it was
to stop water encroaching into the main part of the house.

It's the same when it was a kitchen -- allows mopping out.
Areas to be sloshed out are solid floors too, whereas other
areas usually aren't in older properties.

It can also have quite clever benefits elsewhere, e.g. the
room above can be a step down, which allows shortening the
staircase by a step, which allows it to be squeezed into a
shorter length. That section of the builing is often a
step's height lower right up to the roof, which is a saving
in bricks and other materials.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]