Reading the Regency

A Glossary of Property Terms - part 2

"I believe there are few country parsonages in England half so good. It may admit of improvement, however. Far be it from me to say otherwise; and anything in reason--a bow thrown out, perhaps--though, between ourselves, if there is one thing more than another my aversion, it is a patched-on bow."
[Chapter 26, Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen]

A Bow Window was a semi-circular window that projected out from the main wall of a building. The wall beneath copied the shape of the window, extending the space inside the room. They were fashionable by the end of the 1700s, when Jane Austen began writing Northanger Abbey, and some homeowners may have chosen to modernise their house by adding a "patched on bow" window where there had originally been a flat window. Bow windows were often seen on shop fronts, allowing the owner to display more of their goods to the passing public. One of the most famous bow windows in Regency England was on the ground floor at White's Club in St. James's Street, where Beau Brummell would often sit to watch those walking by.

"For my temptation to think it a right, I refer every caviller to a brick house, sashed windows below, and casements above, in Highbury."
[Chapter 50, Emma, by Jane Austen]

Casement Windows were attached to the frame by hinges on the side, and they would open outwards. Before sash windows became common, these were the main style of opening window found in British buildings. Older casement windows were often glazed with leaded glass; small rectangle or diamond-shaped glass pieces joined together with strips of lead.

Where tall casement windows ended at floor level they were still called windows, even though you could walk through them to reach a balcony or terrace. They were sometimes referred to as "floor-length windows", but they're also described as French Windows from around 1810 onwards. The term "French Door" did not appear until 1847.

Dormer Windows were windows that projected out vertically from a sloping roof, often found in a garret or attic. Each window would have its own little roof and side walls so someone inside could walk right up to the glass to look out. Circular or arched dormer windows might have been seen in newer high-status houses.

Fanlights were semicircular fixed windows that sat above a solid door to cast natural light into what would otherwise be a dark hallway or room. Fan-shaped lights were particularly popular in Georgian buildings, but rectangle-shaped lights of six panes were also used at various times to allow daylight into dark areas, in which case they were just called lights. The term "Transom", meaning a window over a door, didn't come into use until 1844.

An Oriel Window was a small window, often shaped like a bay or a bow window, but without a supporting wall beneath. Instead, the oriel window projected from an otherwise flat wall and was supported beneath the window sill with one or two brackets.

"As soon as she was dressed, Helen went to the window and threw up the sash for the first time to enjoy the fresh air, and to see the prospect which she was told was beautiful; and she saw that it was beautiful."
[Chapter 43, Helen, by Maria Edgeworth]

Sash Windows were the "modern" window of the day, installed in most newly built houses. They were first used in the seventeenth century but remained popular right the way through into the 20th century. They opened by sliding up or down, the sashes being counterbalanced by weights and pulleys so they would stay open. In most cases, the window was formed with an upper and lower sash, and each sash was separated into six, eight or even ten panes of glass.

I recently visited a house built in 1804, where the sash windows reached down to the floor and were larger than the door. The top and bottom sashes were large enough that you could raise the lower sash to its full, opened height and walk through the opening into the garden.