Richmond casement windows in thatched cottage teachers lodgings part of Repton School in Derby

Textbook installation of Heritage Double Glazing in a Listed Building

Heritage Double Glazing was needed to update this historic Private School near Derby without ruining it’s very distinctive appearance. This very sensitive project needed windows that were both traditional in appearance but modern in performance. Gowercroft’s Heritage window range was chosen and the ideal solution.

The perfect location for Heritage Double Glazed Windows

Three of the school’s 90 or so properties were in need of renovation, and it was decided that the Gowercroft range of heritage windows and doors offered the required modern day performance whilst maintaining the traditional aesthetics of the buildings.

One of the crucial aspects of fitting new windows to such ancient buildings is the window profile. Some of the school’s buildings were erected hundreds of years before double glazing became commonplace. It would be vulgar to install uPVC double glazing in such auspicious surroundings. However, most timber windows that have a more traditional look, have double glazing that is too thick to fit in with the style of the surroundings.

Why Heritage Double Glazing fits the bill

Single glazing normally the preferred product for heritage projects. Unfortunately ‘old school’ looks come with ‘old school’ performance in terms of heat retention and soundproofing. However, with the use of Pilkington SpaciaTM heritage sealed units these problems can be overcome.
These double glazed units are considerably narrower than other windows – up to 15mm thinner. This eliminates the ‘double shadow’ effect that prevents standard units from being used in heritage projects. The vacuum gap between the panes of glass makes them highly efficient whilst maintaining, as close as is currently possible, the appearance of an ‘original’ single glazed window.

We have a detailed post to help you find out more about Heritage Windows on our blog.

Pilkington Glass’ use of Repton Schools Heritage window installation

Pilkington NSG were so impressed by the quality of the works and the heritage of the site, that they chose it as the location for their promotional video relating to Spacia glazing. You can see the video below, which gives a good impression of the site by drone and also some closer up footage of the products so you can see how well they suit the environment.

About Repton School

Repton School in Derbyshire dates back to 1557 and is based on the grounds and buildings of 12th Century Augustinian Priory. The original church was destroyed in 1553 though some fragments remain, most of the structure is from much later. All the additions to the site are in keeping with the original buildings, even modern buildings such as the Science Priory added in 2013. The whole effect of the school is both traditional and grand, and utterly charming. Signs of Roman occupation were uncovered during recent archeological digs.

Famous students include legendary olympian Harold Abrahams, writers Christopher Isherwood, Edward Upton and Roald Dahl. Latterly Top Gear and The Grand Tour producer Andy Wilman and presenter Jeremy Clarkson attended the school.

You can read more about Repton School on Wikipedia.

Gowercroft and Repton School

There are both classrooms and residential buildings for the staff and pupils on the Repton School site, and it was one of the classrooms and two of the staff dwellings that we were asked to supply windows for. Scheduling the work was challenging as we had to work around the school calendar – we didn’t want to disturb either staff or pupils during the renovation.

Products used were the Richmond and Winston heritage double glazed window range. These products were developed by Gowercroft during the renovation of a former property of Winston Churchill and have been refined over the years to be a ‘go-to’ solution for heritage projects and have won several industry awards.

You can find more information on the Gowercroft Heritage Window Range. If you would like more information on the specific products used in this case study:

For the Richmond sliding sash heritage window
For the Winston casement heritage window

Repton School Heritage Window Gallery

Winston sliding sash windows internal shot at Repton School in Derby

Winston sliding sash windows first floor compared to single glazed ground floor at Repton School in Derby

What Barry Law, Estates Bursar of Repton School, says about Gowercroft Heritage Windows

Innovative Products

Gowercroft was recommended to Repton School by another local school during an informal chat. We had 3 quite different requirements on the Estate. Firstly, we wanted to improve the ground floor ventilation of a Grade II Listed cottage used to house a member of the school staff by adding 2 new windows to the rear of the property. Our second project was straightforward replacement of a rotten timber sash in a non-listed domestic property and lastly we wanted to replace 6 windows in the top floor of a classroom block to again improve ventilation, as the existing windows were not openable. The challenges were finding replacement windows that matched the existing single glazed timber sash’s, met the conservation and heritage requirements and gave us longevity and the energy performance of double glazed units. From the start Gowercroft were excellent in providing suitable drawings and information to satisfy Listed Building Consent and they introduced us to Pilkington SpaciaTM glazing which ticked several of the boxes. There was quite a long lead time for the glazing but once supplied the installation and manufacture/finish of the new windows was problem free and excellent. The price was competitive. I would definitely consider using or recommending Gowercroft in the future. Barry law, Estates Bursar