Why All Listed Homes Of The Chiswick Area Have Georgian Sash Windows

By Damian Hounslow


Chiswick is the name of a part of London which is associated with the Borough of Hounslow. It grew as a country destination for the rich folk of London in the 19th and 20th centuries. This was at the same time as the development of glass blowing made it easier for larger windows to be installed. This goes some way towards explaining why all historic homes in the Chiswick area have sash windows.

Nowadays Chiswick is a traditional area which is proud to preserve its historic past. It has become a tourist destination where people come to look at the beautiful architectural works of days gone by. This includes the normal residential listed dwellings and Chiswick House, which is well worth a visit.

The 18th century saw great developments in the production of glass for installing into houses. Cylinder glass production, begun in the late 17th century was refined further during this time. This meant that larger panes could be made which were thinner and lighter. This means that the rich and rarefied gentry of the day could show off their wealth more by having large Georgian windows installed into their country houses. Of course, the larger the better.

Almost all the suburban dwellings which grew up around the time of the 1860s in Bedford Park and Gunnersbury have these wonderful period features of the time. These dwellings are typically more squarish and might have pillars in the front either side of a big panelled door. The window tax of the time, meant that more and larger installations were a very available and obvious way to show off how rich the family was.

These windows are usually made from a heavy wooden frame inside which sit two sliding sections. When these slide over each other, the window opens. There is a complicated internal system of weights and pulleys which lets them be opened and closed easily.

The owners of the listed buildings of Chiswick are under firm instruction to keep the outside and inside of their properties as much as they can with the traditional or original fixtures and fittings. There are very high standards which must be met whenever any building work is to be done.

Replacing them could be quite expensive, but when it comes to the traditional arts, many people are skilled enough to repair the rotten parts rather than having to remove the whole thing and renew it.




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