Project: Timber Casements for Listed Cottage with Modern Performance

Getting listed building consent in Oxford isn’t simple. This 17th century cottage needed new windows—the old ones leaked, rattled, and barely opened—but the planning officer wanted proof that any replacement would be “in keeping with the historical character.”

We built flush casement windows in oak with leaded light glazing in the ground floor windows. Not fake leading stuck onto glass—proper came and glass construction like the originals would have had. Upper floor windows got simpler horizontal bars to keep costs sensible.

Here’s where it got technical: the cottage has lime mortar and breathable stone walls. Fitting modern sealed units could cause damp issues, so we spec’d double glazing with heritage-profile slimline units (14mm overall thickness) and fitted trickle vents hidden in the top rails.

Conservation officer visited during installation, poked around, asked questions about the joinery methods, and signed off without requesting changes. The homeowners were shocked—they’d been warned to expect months of back-and-forth.

Five years on, those windows still operate smoothly and the cottage feels warm without losing its character. Sometimes doing it properly first time saves everyone’s sanity