Stone mullion window discovery

[lou]

Hello there,
Still awaiting bat licence and thus permission to start building but wanted to share my excitement and frustration about the bricked-up stone mullion window I found at the weekend while hacking off some old cement render. As you can see, it was replaced by a monstrous Crittal affair and the end upright chopped off to accommodate the new window. I think this part of the building is Elizabethan. Does anyone know if this would be the 'right' kind of window for that period? The other two windows of the same period are made of wood so it seems a bit strange to have a stone one too.

 

[biffvernon]

Pretty likely, with oak or wrought iron casements and leaded lights.

 

[lou]

OK. Thanks Biff. Wondered about whether they would have been wooden or iron. I haven't investigated fully yet but there is also a hole about 1" diameter in the middle of the underside of the lintel which I suppose must have been for a wooden or cast iron bar.

 

[Penners]

Fascinating, lou! And I would have thought entirely consistent with a Tudor building. The use of stone here and wood elsewhere could simply reflect differences in taste and/or wealth of different owners.

Any chance of seeing a close-up photo of the shape of the mullions?

 

[lou]

I thought I had attached a second photo so trying again. For some reason I always have problems uploading attachments. I will be trying to get at the inside of this window this weekend and will also remove the infill to explore a little for further clues. There is no sign of it at the moment as the wall is about 18" - 2' thick.

It's a simple, rather primitive looking structure, though carving stone in Wales at that time can't have been a doddle.

 

[biffvernon]

OK. Thanks Biff. Wondered about whether they would have been wooden or iron.

Iron appear to be common but I think wood may be under-represented in the extant buildings since more would have rotted away than iron. It may be that wood was commoner than is seems.

 

[Penners]

I'm pretty ignorant on stone mullioned windows (amongst a long list of things). From your photo, the mullions look as though they're a simple triangular section, whereas I would have expected there to be a rebate against which the glazing membranes were fixed. Is this the case?

 

[worms]

I'm pretty ignorant on stone mullioned windows (amongst a long list of things). From your photo, the mullions look as though they're a simple triangular section, whereas I would have expected there to be a rebate against which the glazing membranes were fixed. Is this the case?

I'm glad you asked that one! I was wondering if in fact this might have been simply an unglazed "window" into a byre (or workshop, I suppose), rather than a proper house window?

 

[lou]

Well it's a little unsophisticated-looking, which may owe a little to my photographic skills, but wouldn't it have been an awful lot of trouble to go to for a cow byre window? It's actually quite neatly worked underneath. That's certainly worth consideration however. I had intended to chip away from the inside this weekend but am a bit concerned that I might undermine the wall above. Should I use an acro-prop or shall I take the risk that there is an intact wooden internal lintel, as all the other windows have? Any thoughts on this before my enthusiasm gets the better of me?

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Remove a little of the internal surface coverings for an exploratory look at what is underneath.

Pause, consider, and then proceed as appropriate. If necessary only remove surface coverings until you're sure. Removing just the plaster won't bring the house down.

Post more pics - fascinating!

 

[lou]

I did a bit more digging around in the short time I had at the weekend but was unable to make much headway inside - they seem to have rendered inside with a cement-strength plaster so will need another strategy there. But it's clear from the new pics that this was a glazed window and from the outside you can just see some remaining lime plaster on the interior wall. I am now going to have to rethink all the internal plans for this room. I am told it is evidence that it was probably a 17th century parlour as its the room next to where the cross passage was. (apologies for a couple of photos being side-on - not yet familiar with picasa).