Page 10 - Oundle Life Feb 2021

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I often think that windows are the ‘eyes of
a building’ enabling: occupants to see out, passers-by to see in, and historians to travel back in time; unpicking a building’s hidden history. By studying the windows of a building, we may identify its function
(past or present), the status or class of
its builder, and identify key moments
of change as fashions were followed.
In Oundle we mostly see two types
of window: those that open by sliding
along a fixed plane and those that open
by pivoting on a hinge. For ease we will
refer to the two types as ‘Sliding Sash’
or ‘Hinged Casement’. Various material, functional, fashion, and regulatory
influences have shaped window design down through the years – leaving our buildings with an interesting story to tell.
The word ‘window’ is of Saxon origin and means ‘wind eyes’ or ‘wind doors’ which may either point to their primary use – ventilation – or to an uncomfortable side effect – drafts.
These ‘wind’ openings were generally closed to the elements by wooden shutters – which also blocked the
light – or by heavy wax curtains which reduced some of the drafts and retained some of the light.
Starting in the 13th century, Royal households installed glass in their windows to let in light while keeping out the drafts. Using lead ‘cames’ to join small (very expensive-to-make) pieces of glass, larger glazing panels were
created and installed into iron casements. (Fig. 1) As the centuries passed, and manufacturing knowhow expanded, prices dropped and
Royal households installed glass in their windows to let in light while keeping out the drafts
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