Page 11 - Oundle Life Feb 2021

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glazing remained a prized possession and windows – as an asset – were left in wills and handed down through generations
adoption grew, and by the middle of the 17th- century window glass was a common feature of ordinary properties.
Nevertheless, glazing remained a prized possession and windows – as an asset – were left in wills and handed down through generations.
Accordingly, the iron frames in which the glass was installed were hung on ‘pintles’ from stone or timber frames which made it easy to lift them off and relocate them to another property. (Fig. 2) You need a keen eye to locate early examples in Oundle.
Sliding sash windows came to
England from France around 1670,
taking advantage of the ‘Normandy’
method for manufacturing larger pieces of glass. Again, it was the Royal residences of Hampton Court and the Palace of Whitehall which lead
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this new fashion, with only the wealthiest of courtiers following suit – Boughton House being one very fine local example.
As I stroll around Oundle today I see a number of buildings with relatively early sliding sash windows (Fig. 3) which are generally
identifiable in three ways: First, the earliest windows are installed very close to the wall face; second, the
sash box (which houses the pulleys, ropes, and weights to balance the heavy windows as they are raised and lowered) is prominently visible within the stone reveal; and third, the glazing bars are very chunky (Fig. 4). London Building Regulations changed in 1709
and 1774, greatly impacting the design and installation of timber windows. The former moving the windows back from the wall face by
Sliding sash windows came to England from France around 1670
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