Why Old Houses Were Built to Cheat the Tax Man

For over 150 years, the British government taxed windows, bricks, tiles and glass. So Britain rebuilt its houses to be uncountable. This is the story of how tax law physically shaped the buildings you still walk past every day, why so many Georgian façades have windows made of brick, and which of the famous "tax dodge" stories are complete myths. From the hearth tax collectors who walked into your home, to the daylight robbery that probably never happened, to the reason your council tax band still comes from 1991.