The stylistic influences on the appearance of the Woolton Park buildings were:

1) The Picturesque Movement of the later 18th century and early 19th century. This called for asymmetry of plan and elevation, offered a choice of styles, put forward the idea of a style being chosen for its associationalism or evocativeness, required a pictorial setting for the house and introduced into the design features which were meant to relate the house to the landscape - the bay window, the French window, the verandah, the balcony, the conservatory and the cloister. One of the existing Woolton Park houses has another feature to link it with the landscape, a prospect tower; another house, now demolished, also had one.

2) The Romantic Movement of the 1790s to c.1850. This reinforced the idea of associationalism by demanding that buildings should appeal to the soul. It rejected the idea of one true style (the Classical based on Ancient Rome). And it led to a yearning for the past, especially the medieval past.

3) Specifically Victorian influences

i) Historicism - the use of past styles.

ii) Eclecticism - the mixing of styles in one building; or the use of a particular style for a particular type of building.

iii) Constructional polychromy - the decorative use of building materials of different colours. This had the advantages of being cheap and permanent.

iv) The Domestic or Vernacular Revival of c.1860 - c.1914. Architects and builders working in this manner were inspired by manor houses, farmhouses and cottages of the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. These simple unaffected buildings followed local traditions, used local materials, and were constructed in accordance with time honoured methods.

Pugin, Butterfield and Street showed the way with their parsonages and houses of the 1830s, 40s, 50s and 60s. These were informal in plan and elevation, picturesque in outline and in a simple Gothic style. In 1859, Philip Webb designed the "Red House" at Bexley Heath for William Morris in the same manner and this was a most influential building.

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