What are these hooks on my windows for?

[Bitstreams]

Not exactly a major concern I know, but I'm curious.

I have these 'hooks' on the outside of a couple of my windows. Any idea what these are for and do they give an indication of the age of the windows?

View attachment 2

View attachment 1

Are they for shutters or some sort of security perhaps?

This is the whole window



regards
Simon

 

[ljn]

On each side of the upper portion of the frame, there are also notches cut, or is it a breach in the bead?
Could some kind of hinge have been fitted there?

The hook s look like some I had in Italy to pass a bolt through to secure shutters, but that was on the inside.
Would there be any reason lock people inside the house?

 

[Pete Keane]

At a guess, I would say that the outside frame (green) is older than the sash section 9white). It looks like there was a different window section - the two rebates may have held a horizontal piece of frame, and i think your idea on it being some sort of locking mechanism is pretty accurate - a bar dropping into the support and then passing over the hoop to which a padlock is then fixed.

As to why? Well, the only person that can answer that should be long gone by now!

Are there any clues about the history of the building, or has the window started out lige as a doorway - interesting that the stones on the left are verically spaced, but those on the right are different.

Can you post a photo showing more of the wall rather than just the window?

 

[Bitstreams]

I'll try to get a wider angle shot posted tomorrow - dark now

The other window on this side of the house has the same hook arrangement but is fixed (i.e. not a sash and doesn't open). There is some history of the house being a shop at one time, but this is only anecdotal as far as I know. I've been told that the house is about 1850 but again this is only what other people in the village are guessing I think.

Simon

 

[biffvernon]

I'd go for an outside shutter that was lifted into place when needed. It didn't work very well which is why all that is left is the fixings. I'd also guess older than 1850, but there's not much to go on in just that photo.

 

[Bitstreams]

Ok, here's the "wide" shot. Oh my goodness it looks tatty - oh well, one day it'll be just beautiful.



Simon

 

[biffvernon]

All the more reason to say it's pre-1850.

(Except for that peculiar white carbuncle top left.)

 

[Bitstreams]

err yes, white carbuncle is down to us. The house had been empty for a while when we moved in and I opened that window and had to catch it as the paint was the only thing holding it in place.

It's not a standard size - all I can say is one day it'll get replaced with something a bit more suitable.

Simon

 

[joechip]

Interesting looking house, looks older than 1850 to me too but i'm not an expert.

 

[kaz]

Hmmm... I've got those hook things too, but they are on the inside of external doors. One still has the iron bar hanging from it. I'm not very 'up' on this old house... I assumed that the bars were a 'poor man's' lock (?)

 

[Bitstreams]

Hmmm... I've got those hook things too, but they are on the inside of external doors. One still has the iron bar hanging from it. I'm not very 'up' on this old house... I assumed that the bars were a 'poor man's' lock (?)

You mean hanging from the 'loop' or the hook? What sort of age is your place?

Simon

 

[biffvernon]

Hmmm... I've got those hook things too, but they are on the inside of external doors.

Of course. The timber that makes up this window frame had a former existance as a door frame and whoever reused the pieces didn't bother removing the embedded ironmongery.

Just let me know when you want your carbuncle replacing with a proper window.

 

[Flyfisher]

We also have the same fittings on the inside of two of our outside doors, both with iron bars fixed to the loops exactly as kaz described. In fact, because the locks on these doors don't work, the bars are still actively used for 'locking' the doors.

Not sure of the date though as the doors in question are not original to the house and were probably installed during a 'Georgification' of the property.

 

[kaz]

This will be embarrassing... the door that still has the bar attached, used to be an external door, but the house has been added to at some point, so no longer an external door. Anyway... thought I'd take a photo of hook thingie and oh boy... just noticed the zillions of layers of black paint (had to give it a little dust before taking the pic :roll!!! (I've popped the bar across):

As for the age of the property... I have no idea . I really should do some proper research... more than 400 years I think.

 

[Aidan]

It looks like it may have been a hay loft over a stable, with an external door at first floor level through which the hay was forked up.
The door frame may have been turned around when it was converted to a window; I don't know why though.