Although recognized mainly for his animal subjects, Huggins also specialized in painting architecture in a detailed style, which revealed the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites. He was one of a group of Liverpool artists, which included William Lindsay Windus, James Campbell, and John Lee, who employed the ideas and techniques of the Brotherhood.

In 1861, he moved to Chester, where he took up architectural drawing, probably under the influence of his brother, an architect, who was involved with the preservation of antiquities in the area. H.C.Marillier notes, "He painted many excellent views of the cathedral and city, and there developed a love of the old red sandstone, which has been noticed as a characteristic of his later work."