Charles Brooking

 

Windows, Glazing Bars

Window Taxes and Tri Part Windows

Charles Brooking is a fascinating and knowledgeable collector of architectural detail, The Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail, and as Surveyors we find his lifelong quest to collect British building details unique, informative and valuable and a collection that must be kept intact for years to come. If you need help and advice with regard to building surveys, structural surveys, structural reports, engineers reports, specific defects report, dilapidations or any other property matters please free phone 0800 298 5424.

The following is one of a series of interviews with Charles Brooking, Historic and Listed Buildings Detail Expert, The Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail and a Surveyor where we have recorded his comments and various aspects that have affected windows and doors and other collectibles. The interviews outline how his collection started and built over the years and gives an insight into the amazing architectural features housed in his fine collection.

 

Surveyor : When were people keen to get rid of the small glazing bars?

Charles Brooking : Well the introduction of cheap plate glass in from the, I suppose, 1840's because tax was taken off glass and plate glass. Plate glass was becoming very fashionable!

Surveyor: So this is where the term daylight robbery comes from isn't it?

Charles Brooking: It is. The window tax was introduced in the 1690's and wasn't repealed until 1851 and it became very punitive in the early 19th century. That's why you get Venetian windows put in instead of two lower sash windows in the ground floor of a house, because they are avoiding the tax.

Surveyor: Please describe the Venetian window?

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Charles Brooking : The Venetian window or tri part windows, is where you've got a major window and then it's divided by a plaster and two small side lights. In the Georgian tradition they are usually with an arched head but sometimes they are flat headed but you gain more light for your money but you didn't have to pay for two windows! You could get away with one window and that's quite common. You see it in Worcester and other towns, where they've actually taken out the two ground floor windows and you can see the brickwork change and plonked in a Venetian window.

When rescuing architectural details you can miss things because you are so dedicated to getting things away and you've got to be quite slow to take lots of photographs so that you can re-appraise it later on. I was then taking coloured slides and I tended to photograph as much as possible and still do, of every rescue I do so the context is preserved.

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Rescue defined

Charles Brooking defines a rescue as saving a window or door or staircase that would be doomed.

Charles Brooking was a pioneer in the rescue of architectural detailing as many years ago it was very much considered a strange and an unusual past time to want to rescue old parts of buildings with everything new and shiny being so important.

If you found this article on The Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail interesting you may also be interested in the following articles on our website:

Building Survey Glossary

Buying off market -v- buying at auction

Glass

The Great Fire of London

Buying a property at auction

 

References:

TheBrookingCollection.com

DartfordArchive.org.uk

IHBC.org.uk

ProjectBook.co.uk

Independent Surveyors

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Commercial Property Surveyors

If you have a commercial property, be it leasehold or freehold, then you may wish to look at our Dilapidations Website at www.DilapsHelp.com and for Disputes go to our Disputes Help site www.DisputesHelp.com.

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