Sliding windows have existed throughout Europe for Many years, dating back to the thirteenth century as very simple timber sliding shutters.
It was not until roughly the end of the sixteenth century that glazed versions started to appear that where horizontally sliding windows, and during the mid seventeenth century vertical sliding sash windows arrived, mainly in France.
Fearing the guillotine French nobility came to England and brought with them advances in sash window designs from across the channel.
Somerset house in London was renovated with the input of the Queen Mother who had just arrived back from France with a very skilled French Sash Window joiner. He created and fitted the first recorded sash window in Britain.
The precise history and development of sash windows is a bit vague although the most likely story of the balanced, weighted sash window was a British invention.
As an updated re-make of the original vertical sliding window glazed with small squares of glass and very thick glazing bars due to the delicate and primitive glass available at the time would have made it a very heavy window to operate.
Counter balancing was first used in doors. There is documented evidence of weights and ropes being fitted to doors in various parts of Whitehall. It was only a matter of time before this system was applied to windows.
At no point in history has any one person laid claim to the invention of the sash window nor has there ever been a patent applied for.
Glass producers began to make glass that was more reliable and stronger and the British Government of the day stopped the taxation of glass, this all helped towards sash windows with large panes without bars.
It was a sign of being well off during the glass taxation period to have large glass windows in the UK.
It was not until roughly the end of the sixteenth century that glazed versions started to appear that where horizontally sliding windows, and during the mid seventeenth century vertical sliding sash windows arrived, mainly in France.
Fearing the guillotine French nobility came to England and brought with them advances in sash window designs from across the channel.
Somerset house in London was renovated with the input of the Queen Mother who had just arrived back from France with a very skilled French Sash Window joiner. He created and fitted the first recorded sash window in Britain.
The precise history and development of sash windows is a bit vague although the most likely story of the balanced, weighted sash window was a British invention.
As an updated re-make of the original vertical sliding window glazed with small squares of glass and very thick glazing bars due to the delicate and primitive glass available at the time would have made it a very heavy window to operate.
Counter balancing was first used in doors. There is documented evidence of weights and ropes being fitted to doors in various parts of Whitehall. It was only a matter of time before this system was applied to windows.
At no point in history has any one person laid claim to the invention of the sash window nor has there ever been a patent applied for.
Glass producers began to make glass that was more reliable and stronger and the British Government of the day stopped the taxation of glass, this all helped towards sash windows with large panes without bars.
It was a sign of being well off during the glass taxation period to have large glass windows in the UK.
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