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Two-up two-down is a type of small house with two rooms on the ground floor and two bedrooms upstairs.

There are many types of terraced houses in the United Kingdom, and these are among the most modest. Those built before 1875, the pre-regulation terraces, shared one toilet between several households. Those built after the passage of the Public Health Act 1875 (38 & 39 Vict. c. 55), the so-called byelaw terraced houses, each had its own toilet, usually outside. The rapid urbanisation of Britain during the Industrial Revolution meant that these small cheap terraces were widespread in towns and cities.

In the 20th century, and early in the 21st, areas of this type of dwelling were often targeted for demolition and redevelopment, under a slum clearance programme, but in some areas local community groups campaigned to save them, such as Toxteth Street in Openshaw, Manchester.

In media

The 1966 song "No Milk Today" by Herman's Hermits mentions the song's protagonist's love interest as having lived in a two up two down.

The 1974 song "Snookeroo" by Ringo Starr mentions the singer's house as being "two rooms up, and two rooms down".

References

1. "Two-up two-down". Cambridge Dictionaries online.
2. "Why So Many Londoners Live in 'Two-Up, Two-Down' Housing". Bloomberg.com. 10 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
3. "Life on the terraces: The classic two-up two-down is back in demand". The Independent. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
4. "UWE Victorian & Edwardian Services (Houses) 1850-1914". University of West England. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
5. Hines, Mark. "The Rebirth of Toxteth Street: Alternatives to Demolition" (PDF). Save Britain's Heritage. Retrieved 8 March 2015.

• Architectural design
• House types in the United Kingdom