Heritage Sliding Sash Windows for a Grade II Listed Property in Burnsall

12 bespoke Accoya timber windows and two external doors, manufactured and installed for a Grade II listed property in Burnsall, near Skipton.

Replacing windows in a listed building requires careful consideration. Improving warmth and energy efficiency is important, but replacement joinery must also respect the age, character and architectural significance of the property.

This Grade II listed property in Burnsall, near Skipton, presented exactly that challenge.

Following the granting of listed building consent, our team manufactured and installed 12 bespoke timber windows and two external doors, replacing later joinery that was no longer performing adequately with new windows and doors designed specifically for this historic Yorkshire Dales property.

Heritage replacement windows for a Grade II listed building

Before work began, the existing windows were carefully assessed as part of the listed building consent process.

Although traditional in appearance, the existing sliding sash windows were not believed to be original to the property. The heritage assessment identified details including relatively heavy glazing bars, sash horns and the absence of original internal shutters as indications that they were later replacements.

Their condition and construction also meant they were performing poorly. Single glazing and draughts were contributing to significant heat loss and an uncomfortable internal environment.

Rather than simply reproducing these later windows, the replacement project provided an opportunity to introduce new joinery with finer, more historically appropriate proportions, while considerably improving thermal performance.

Traditional sliding sash windows with modern performance

The new heritage sliding sash windows were individually manufactured from Accoya by our experienced bench joiners in our workshop near Skipton.

Careful attention was given to the proportions and detailing of each sash. Slimmer glazing bars were incorporated and the later sash horns omitted, helping the replacement windows more closely reflect the likely appearance and proportions of the property’s earlier joinery.

One of the challenges when manufacturing windows for a listed building is achieving this traditional appearance while incorporating the performance expected from a modern home.

For this project, we used 4-6-4 slimline Krypton-filled heritage double glazing. The slim glazing units allow us to work with much finer traditional window sections than would typically be possible with conventional double glazing.

This allowed us to retain slender glazing bars and traditional sash proportions while providing a significant improvement over the previous single-glazed windows.

Handmade Accoya sash windows

Accoya timber was chosen for the new windows and doors because of its stability and durability, making it particularly well suited to detailed external joinery intended to provide many years of service.

Although modern materials and glazing technology form part of the specification, the windows themselves rely on the traditional joinery knowledge and craftsmanship at the heart of our business.

Our experienced bench joiners and craftsmen have the skills required to produce the fine sections, mouldings and individual details that heritage work demands. Each window was made specifically for its opening rather than being supplied as part of a standard window system.

This is particularly important on historic and listed properties, where relatively small differences in proportions, mouldings, glazing bars and sight lines can have a significant effect on the finished appearance.

Traditional detailing and a factory-painted finish

The completed joinery was fully factory finished in our workshop using a Teknos coating system colour matched to Farrow & Ball Wimborne White.

The soft off-white works particularly well against the traditional Yorkshire stone elevations, creating an understated finish appropriate to the character of the property.

The heritage sliding sash windows were completed with polished chrome locking furniture, Durodeen beads and spring balances, combining traditional appearance with smooth, practical operation.

Factory finishing also allows the coating system to be applied under controlled workshop conditions before the completed joinery arrives at the property.

Manufactured and installed by our own team

The joinery for this project was manufactured by our own bench joiners and installed by our own team, giving us control over the process from manufacture and finishing in the workshop through to fitting and making good on site.

That becomes particularly valuable when working with heritage and listed properties.

Rather than being restricted to a standard machine-produced window system, we can combine the accuracy of modern workshop machinery with the traditional bench-joinery skills required to reproduce particular mouldings, sections and architectural details.

If an opening or existing detail requires a different approach, our craftsmen can manufacture the joinery around the requirements of the building rather than expecting the building to accommodate a standard product.

For us, that is an important part of genuinely bespoke joinery.

Improving thermal performance while respecting historic character

An interesting aspect of this project was that replacing historic-looking windows did not necessarily mean removing original historic fabric.

In this case, the heritage assessment concluded that the existing windows were later replacements and did not make a positive contribution to the architectural or historic significance of the Grade II listed building.

The carefully designed replacement joinery therefore provided an opportunity to achieve two important objectives: improving the thermal performance of the property while introducing windows with finer detailing more appropriate to its age and character.

The finished result retains everything we want to see in a traditional Yorkshire Dales property — slender painted timber sections, traditional sliding sash proportions and carefully considered detailing — while discreetly incorporating modern double glazing and improved weather performance.

Heritage sliding sash windows near Skipton

This Burnsall project is a good example of the heritage and listed-building joinery we manufacture from our workshop near Skipton.

James Wilding Joinery designs, manufactures and installs bespoke timber windows and doors for period, listed and contemporary properties throughout Skipton, Burnsall and Upper Wharfedale, and the wider Yorkshire Dales.

Our work includes traditional sliding sash windows, flush casement windows, replacement windows for listed and period properties, external doors and other bespoke architectural joinery.

For listed buildings and sensitive period properties, our ability to manufacture bespoke joinery means individual windows and doors can be designed around the requirements and character of the building rather than being restricted to a standard window system.

Project Summary

Location: Burnsall, near Skipton, Yorkshire Dales
Property: Grade II listed property
Joinery: 12 bespoke timber sliding sash windows and two external doors
Timber: Accoya
Glazing: 4-6-4 slimline Krypton-filled heritage double glazing
Finish: Teknos coating system, colour matched to Farrow & Ball Wimborne White
Manufactured & installed by: James Wilding Joinery

Considering replacement timber windows for a listed or period property near Skipton?

Contact James Wilding Joinery to discuss your project.