Terraced Houses in Leicester

Terraced houses had sash windows, and occasionally sliding 'Yorkshire' sashes (below) which can still be seen in the former Cramant's Yard.

The difficulty of producing large sheets of glass meant that small paned windows were common before 1850. These have often been replaced over the years (below).

As can be seen in the black and white photo of Sunlight Cottages (above), shutters weren't uncommon. The few to be seen in Leicester today look purely decorative, but these were functional and people still have memories of the shutters being closed tight when the family went on holiday.

After 1850, improved production techniques and the end of window tax meant that larger panes could be used. However, by the 1870s it became fashionable to use small panes again, but usually only in the upper half of the window.

Also in the 1870s there was a fashion for bay windows. These let more light into the room and might be made of brick, stone, or wood. The one on the left is brick; not unusually its neighbouring bay windows have been stuccoed over.

From around 1900 we see an upstairs 'oriel' bay window (a bay window on an upper floor only) with brackets and fashionable small panes.

Another variation is when the windows are in pairs, as in some of the examples below.