Industry News & Updates

Environmentally Friendly
Environmentally Friendly
Award Winning Team
Award Winning Team
Made in Britain (1)
Made in Britain
A timber-framed garden room extension featuring large glazed panels and double doors in a warm oak finish, showcasing how high-quality timber in UK housing enhances character, natural light and countryside views.
Is timber the future of UK housing?
Timber built Britain. From sash windows to front doors, it shaped our homes for centuries. Then, plastic arrived, and for a while, everyone thought that was progress. Fast-forward to...
Group photo at the BWF Sustainability Awards 2024 featuring Harry Dixon, Finance Director of Gowercroft Joinery, holding the Sustainability Award certificate, and Darren Young, Production Director, holding the trophy. They are joined by the event host, a judge, and Helen Hewitt, Chief Executive of the British Woodworking Federation, on the right. All are dressed in formal evening wear, standing in front of a branded sponsor wall with elegant curtains and pillars in the background.
Gowercroft Joinery Wins BWF Sustainability Award 2024
We are thrilled to announce that Gowercroft Joinery has won the BWF Sustainability Award 2024. This achievement highlights our dedication to sustainable practices and our leadership in producing eco...
Lilli-Mae Broadhurst, winner of the BWF Apprentice of the Year 2024, stands in a sleek black gown holding her trophy and certificate. To her right is Andrew Madge, Managing Director of Gowercroft Joinery and President of the BWF for 2024, in a tuxedo. To her left is Stephen Cole from CITB in formal attire, and on the far left is the event host in a black suit. The winners were selected by an independent panel. They are posed in front of a branded backdrop featuring sponsor logos, with decorative curtains and a pillar completing the elegant setting.
Lilli-Mae Broadhurst Named BWF Apprentice of the Year 2024
We are thrilled to announce that Lilli-Mae Broadhurst, our Sales Administration Apprentice, has won the prestigious BWF Apprentice of the Year 2024 award! This recognition celebrates her remarkable achievements...
Internal view of three curved-top Palladian-style Winston sliding sash windows with Georgian glazing bars. The windows are framed with custom shutter boxes and painted to match the interior, showcasing a traditional yet functional design that allows for natural light while preserving the building's historic character.
How We Tailor Heritage Windows and Doors for Listed Buildings
Choosing windows and doors for listed properties isn’t just about historic aesthetics, they also have to create a comfortable living environment and preserve the building for the future. We...
A double-glazed glass unit is centred in the image. On the left, a cold, icy landscape with a snow-covered mountain symbolises low temperatures. A blue arrow points away from the glass unit, representing cold air being reflected out. On the right side, two cosy feet in patterned socks are propped up near a warm fireplace. An orange arrow points toward the inside, showing heat staying in. The image illustrates minimal heat loss, with the double-glazed unit effectively keeping cold air out and retaining warmth inside, visually representing the concept of U-values.
What is a U-Value? Energy Efficient Windows
Are you seeking the most energy efficient windows possible? Then your windows need low u-values. A whopping 85% of us globally report being impacted by climate change. And it’s...
a group of formally dressed people from Gowercroft Joinery posing with an industry award
9 Years of Awards and Counting!
Gowercroft Joinery: A Journey of Awards and Recognition At Gowercroft Joinery, we take pride in our commitment to craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability. Over the years, we have earned numerous...
An old English stone cottage with a thatched roof and ivy-covered walls, set in a sustainable landscape. The garden is lush with native plants and wildflowers. Solar panels are visible on the roof, and a small wind turbine is nearby. A vegetable garden with raised beds and compost bins is in the foreground. A gravel path lined with blooming flowers leads to the cottage. Rolling hills covered in trees and meadows are seen in the background, promoting biodiversity
How To Adapt Historic Buildings for a Greener Future
Our Response to Historic England’s Carbon Efficiency Guidance Historic England’s latest advice note, “Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency,” released in July 2024, provides essential strategies for...
3D-rendered modern white house model with large glazed windows, illustrating the concept of Passive House design, alongside the question "What are the requirements for Passive House Windows?" displayed in bold text on a minimalist grey background.
Passive House Windows – what are the requirements?
What are the requirements for passive house windows? We give you all the information you need to get your home certified by the Passive House Institute
Traditional Windows report by Historic England screenshot
Traditional Windows report by English Heritage
The Traditional Windows Report by English Heritage is a document that gives in great detail the reasons why we need heritage windows. In this post we summarise the report...
A listed building in a conservation area where replacement windows must be approved by the local planning authority
Replacing Windows in a Conservation Area: A Comprehensive Guide
Window replacement in a conservation area Update September 2024: We’ve made significant advancements in our heritage window offerings, including the integration of LandVac vacuum glazing and the refinement of...
Richmond elevation Churchill painted brick house
The Challenge of Replacing Heritage Windows
Update August 2024: We now offer LandVac Vacuum Glass in our product lineup instead of Pilkington spacia, enhancing thermal and acoustic performance while maintaining the traditional aesthetics of heritage...
Gowercroft founders and directors Chris and David in the workshop, smiling while demonstrating one of their bespoke timber windows as part of the company’s 20-year anniversary.
20 Years in High End Joinery
Two Decades of Quality Joinery Formed in March 1998, the Alfreton based company, has gone from strength to strength from a modest three-man joinery team, using second hand machinery,...
Apprentice wearing grey suit being handed apprentice of the year trophy.
Gowercroft Apprentice wins National Award
Apprentice of the Year – Oliver Walker Gowercroft apprentice Oliver Walker has scooped the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ prize in the prestigious British Woodworking Federation’s (BWF) awards. These annual...
Apprentice sands a window frame
Gowercroft Apprentice shortlisted for Major Industry Award
Joinery Apprentice receives prestigious nomination Gowercroft Joinery 3rd Year apprentice, Oliver Walker, has been shortlisted for The British Woodworking Federation’s Apprentice of the Year Award. Oliver joined Gowercroft in 2015 at the start...
Gowercroft Joinery receiving the Best Windows award at the 2017 Build It Awards for their Richmond and Winston heritage windows, presented on stage with the official trophy.
Gowercroft Win Best Windows at Build It Awards
Gowercroft Wooden Windows are officially ‘The Best’! Our Heritage window range, designed specifically for the listed building and conservation market, has won multiple accolades. At a star-studded event held...
Heritage property featuring large timber sliding sash windows with narrow glazing bars and a traditional six-panel front door, showcasing the aesthetic compatibility of vacuum glazing in conservation settings.
The Problem with Slim Double Glazing in Heritage Windows
Slim double glazing in heritage windows may be revolutionary, but it’s not without it’s problems Gowercroft Director Andrew Madge shares why slim double glazing units may not be the...
Diagram comparing Pilkington Spacia™ vacuum glazing and standard double glazing. The left side shows a 6.5mm thick vacuum-insulated unit with low-emissivity glass, clear float, and 0.2mm vacuum gap supported by microspacers. The right side shows a typical 24mm double-glazed unit using air or inert gas for insulation, requiring a larger gap.
What is Pilkington Spacia ™ glass?
Updated August 2024: In recent years, window technology has made major advances. At Gowercroft, we now use LandVac vacuum glass instead of Pilkington Spacia™ due to its many advantages....
Greg Kasowicz holding his award at the 2016 BWF Awards ceremony, standing beside Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards in front of the official event backdrop featuring sponsor logos.
Greg Chosen as BWF Trainee of the Year
BWF Trainee of the Year 2016: Greg Kasowicz! Gowercroft Joinery Level 3 apprentice, Greg Kasowicz (aged 23, from Sutton-in-Ashfield), was named BWF Trainee of the Year 2016 by the...