Let it slide
 The earliest-known use of sash windows in this country was in the later part of the 17th century, at Chatsworth, Ham House, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace. Royal patronage, and its adoption by Wren, made the sash very fashionable in both old and new buildings, and it immediately became something of a status symbol.
The development of the sash window was timely, because it had enormous aesthetic and practical superiority over the older casement design. The wrought-iron hinged metal casement, with its mullions and lead panes, was dark and draughty, and the leaded casement restricted the use of larger sheets of glass. Also, when open, this type of window detracted from the façade rather than enhancing it, while the new sash option was always aesthetically pleasing. The crown glass in these early sashes created beautiful reflections that could not be matched by the small panes of earlier windows.
People who could afford the new sash style ruthlessly cut out their leaded-light windows, which explains why so many larger 16th and 17th century houses have early 18th century designs. This fashionable modernisation was often lavished only on the principal façades, and early casements often survived on the less prominent sections of the buildings. The window tax introduced in 1696 increased the status value of sashes even more.
 Early in the 18th century, what is thought of as the classic glazing pattern of the Georgian window developed. This design, six over six remained in use even after the advent of larger panes in the 19th century, particularly in more modest properties. Among the other types of 18th century sash windows, the tripartite or Venetian was an imposing example. It often consisted of a central sash with two side lights, one pane wide.
Throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries, during the Gothic and Tudor revivals, sash windows were often built to appear as if they were casements. In the early 19th century, the use of margin lights became very popular and, combined with cast-iron balconies, created a delicate and extremely elegant feature now termed ‘Regency’, although this style continued onto the 1840s. Throughout the ensuing three decades, the sash window was employed in Italianate villas and terraces springing up in fashionable areas, and in Victorian Gothic villas, with much plate glass on the principal elevations.
Glazing Over
 The most common form of glass throughout the Georgian period was Crown glass. This was made by blowing, with a central bulls-eye, and had a unique sparkle. Plate glass manufacture was too expensive to affect the design of windows until 1838, when cheaper sheet glass was introduced. At first, the use of the plate glass was confined to the upper end of the market, and by the 1840s owners of older houses were beginning to remove glazing bars from windows to the principal façades.
Sheet glass became common in Victorian Gothic villas and terraces, and by the 1870s the four-paned sash was the standard for cheaper terraced houses, although there were regional variations. As a general rule, plate glass was used only for the more important rooms. The use of glazing bars, and the social hierarchy of glazing, depended on the builder and the area. In rural parts and poorer properties, glazing bars were employed throughout the period, as were casement windows.
At The Bar
 In the 1870s and 1880s the influence of architects such as Philip Webb and Norman Shaw, plus the Queen Anne Revival style, led to the return of glazing bars. A popular design, particularly in the 1880s and 1890s, had glazing bars in the upper sash, with the lower sash a single pane or divided into two. There were many variations on this theme.
By the turn of the century, the sash was the most widely-used window. However, the use of steel windows and casements had grown with Revivalist styles, especially the Queen Anne, as may be seen in buildings designed by Norman Shaw and other architects, and the lead casement was beginning to make a come-back. The growth in use of the casement increased during Edwardian period, and by 1910 many houses were built with timber casements, with sash windows relegated to less important elevations.
After the First World War, although sash windows were still used in larger houses in the neo-Georgian style, the revival of vernacular styles and the great popularity of the mock-Tudor style, led to the general adoption of wood and steel casements. By 1939, the use of sashes was confined largely to neo-Georgian buildings, particularly post offices, banks, public houses and local authority housing estates.
Poor Substitute
By the 1950s, many owners of older houses were replacing sash windows with up-to-date steel casements that were hinged for easy cleaning. By the later 1960s, it became common to replace sashes, particularly in smaller terraced houses, with plate glass, often with louvered vents at the top, thus disfiguring many splendid Victorian homes. By the mid 1970s window replacement began on a scale never before seen in this country. From the early 1980s it became quite usual, not only for the actual sash to be replaced, but for the whole frame to be replaced by a hardwood frame and aluminium double-glazed units – totally unsuitable aesthetically for an older house.
Now, in the 21st century, it is possible to walk down Victorian streets and see a selection of ugly replacement windows. It can be alarming to see that as many as three-quarters of the original windows have been lost. Fortunately, however, with the growth of the conservation movement, and public interest in and appreciation of the craftsmanship, design and visual worth of Georgian and Victorian houses, people have become aware of the damage done by such insensitive replacements, and are now keen to reinstate their lost windows. Traditional craftsmanship is, thankfully, once again in demand.
Period Ideas
Issue – Oct 2004
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