Get the Look: Tudor Style

ABOVE: Hadyn and Wendy Wood built their home in Berkshire using an adaptation of a Potton package home which is based on an Elizabethan Aisle and Cruck frame, and created the decorative Tudor style exterior shell from reclaimed materials... Read More

Windows

Due to the thickness of early manufactured glass in the 16th century, the panes were cut into diamonds small and light enough to be supported by lead bars. When set within these compartments the window was rarely flat and the light catching the glass at different angles caused an attractive sparkling effect.

Whilst many people attempt to imitate this look in their homes, the prohibitive cost of true leaded windows has led to the increased use of imitation leaded lights using mass-produced sheet glass in sealed units. Further­more, Part L of the Building Regulations effectively requires all new windows to be double glazed. Exceptions to this rule are listed buildings, homes in Con­ser­vation Areas and ‘buildings of architectural and historical interest’. For the majority, however, Part L means that traditional leaded lights are no longer an option.

One way around this problem is to use secondary double glazing inside the traditional set. However, this loses the effect of the play of light on the individual panes and can end up making your windows look ‘dead’.

Another alternative is to specify joints on the front and back, but these have the drawback of considerably bulking up the window.

The easiest – and cheapest – option is to use stick-on mouldings. These are available from most larger joinery manufacturers, to varying degrees of success. Paying extra for antique glass will improve the look and the feel of the window.

Don’t automatically assume that leaded windows are the best, however — it may be worth considering whether simple smaller windows would be more appropriate. Your local authority Conservation Officer may be able to suggest solutions and local suppliers.

ABOVE: Combining brick with half-timber work is an excellent way to blend traditional design with more contemporary style, as this house from Oakmasters of Sussex (oakmasters.co.uk, 01444 455 455) shows.

Bricks

Bricks became an increasingly popular build­ing material during the 16th century. They were often used to strengthen timber frames, as a structural system in their own right, or simply as a decorative feature. The most common pattern was English bond (alternated stretchers and headers) but the more elabo­rate Flemish bond was also used. A decor­ative bond often found in Tudor houses is the herringbone pattern (see top left) although this is not necessarily an original detail but more often an addition made later as an infil between the oak frame structure.

Decorative features

The increased wealth of the Tudor period (1485-1603) was reflected in an explosion of building. As home ownership became increasingly attainable, the upper classes demonstrated their superior wealth through ostentatious exteriors. Common features include:

• Large sophisticated chimneys, often with four flues in one stack and featuring decorative brickwork.

• The Tudor Rose: After Henry VIII’s marriage to the daughter of Edward IV, the double rose became a symbol of the unity between the houses of Lancaster and York, and was often used as a decorative symbol.

• As the Elizabethans developed an urban drainage system, square-section lead downpipes, usually with box-shaped heads at roof level were common. The malleable nature of lead lent itself to decor­ative castings — usually dates, monograms, crests and heraldic motifs.

• Traditional Tudor doors are commonly set within a shallow segmental arch, or under a heavy rec­tan­gular lintel. 

• Porches were a common way of adding grandeur to a house. These were occasionally of double height, with a decorative window above the entrance.

• Bargeboards (wooden planks fixed to gable and eave with the original purpose of providing protec­tion against the weather) were a prime area for decorative carving.

Half timber work

Often referred to as the ‘Magpie’ or ‘Stud-and-Mud’ look, the black-and-white half-timber look is a key feature of Tudor style.

In a new-build you have the option to incorporate this half-timber look as part of your structure – as adopted by Border Oak (borderoak.com, 01568 708752) – or, as with Potton homes (potton.co.uk, 01767 676 400), to make the Tudor detailing part of the decorative exterior shell. Merry Albright from Border Oak explains that it is important to try to capture the characteristics that are relevant for modern homes such as room sizes, external appearance, craftsmanship and detail, without slavishly reproducing Tudor homes.

Whether you are renovating or building from scratch, if you are using an oak frame it is recommended that you use traditional materials such as lime mortars and plasters which allow for minor building movement and good vapour exchange. Wenlock Lime (01952 728611) sell the Aglaia and Beecks range of paints, used in the restoration of the building below, which are available in both historic and standard colour ranges.

Hydraulic lime mortars are especially useful in timber frame buildings, as its excellent vapour exchange properties minimise dampness and rot, whilst still providing good weather and frost resistance.

If you choose to create the Tudor effect in an old house, use reclaimed beams for authenticity. Timber coated in black tar contrasts well with white-washed plaster to achieve the classic black and white Tudor look.

Tudor Style Homes:

• A Tudor Style Self-build
• A Three Bedroom Oak Frame Home
• A Magnificent Oak Framed Home

More House Design Guides:

• A Guide to Arts & Crafts Style House Design
• A Guide to Georgian-style House Design
• A Guide to Contemporary House Design
• A Guide to American-style House Design