Residence of a Tudor admiral receives the Selectaglaze treatment - Members News - Blogs

Residence of a Tudor admiral receives the Selectaglaze treatment

Posted by Selectaglaze on 8th September 2011.

Some 5 miles from Tenterden is the picturesque village of Biddenden in the heart of Kent. Once the centre of the Wealden iron industry it is now probably better known now for its Biddenden’s Cider or the Biddenden Maids – conjoined sisters Elisa and Mary Chulkhurst who, upon their deaths in 1134, bequeathed the income from their 20 acres of farmland to be used to benefit the poor of the parish. And, to this day, the “dole” of bread and cheese is given out at a ceremony on Easter Monday at the site of the old workhouse.

Possibly one of the prettiest villages in the county, Biddenden boasts many historic properties including Great Bachelors, an imposing residence set within 3 acres of gardens. A house has been on the site since the 15th century but Great Bachelors is thought to date back to the late 1500’s. The property is constructed from ships timbers and was built on behalf of Admiral Allard during the reign of Elizabeth I. However, in 1614 Henry Allard’s daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Bachelor and brought the house into the hands of the Bachelor family, after whom it is named. When granting Grade II* Listed status in 1952 English Heritage stated: “The original 15th century building was timber-framed and close-studded with plaster infilling but the ground floor was rebuilt in red brick and a half-hipped tiled roof provided; with original casement windows on the first floor – 6 small and 2 large – with diamond-shaped leaded panes and old green glass.” Great Bachelors also features a Catslide (a steep roof ending close to the ground) - thought to be the second largest in Kent.

The property has been extended over the centuries and in the 1980’s the Grain Store was integrated into the main house to form an extended kitchen. The tally of rooms now reaches 19, including bedrooms set within the eaves.

Under the watchful eyes of Great Bachelors’ owners, Clare and Mike Musk, and expert technical advice from their architects Karen and Robin Thatcher, the property is now undergoing major but discreet works to combat draughts and heat loss, including the complete restoration and insulation of the roof and secondary glazing to all 30 of the property’s windows. Clare says: “When we moved into Great Bachelors eight years ago several of the ground floor windows had already been treated with secondary glazing but this was ill-fitting and made no effort to match the sight lines of the primary windows. Aesthetically this was distressing as all of the windows are leaded, with several featuring original green bottle glass, which creates a stunning rainbow effect in bright sunshine. There was also a great need to provide good thermal insulation and extra security.” Clare goes on to say: “Being a property where the ceilings slope in all directions and the timber window frames are crooked we thought it was going to be an impossibility to install effective secondary glazing. But Karen and Robin had previous experience of Selectaglaze’s work at St. Pancras Chambers, where a number of apartments have been created, so knew they were up to the challenge.”

Selectaglaze designed, manufactured and installed sliding secondary units all individually tailor-made, most of which were in a bronze finish to match imperceptibly with the existing wood frames. The only exceptions were a few produced in cream for the kitchen, one bathroom and stairwell where the primary windows had been painted to match the Buttermilk interior décor.

Clare ends by saying that she and her family are delighted with the end result: “Not only have we totally eliminated draughts from the windows but we are beginning to see a significant reduction in our heating bills and, of course, have that extra level of security that good quality secondary glazing provides.”

As the UK’s leading secondary glazing specialist and holder of a Royal Warrant, Selectaglaze has recently produced a Guidance Note on the ability of secondary glazing to improve a building’s energy performance. This is of great relevance to all Building Owners and Managers wishing to reduce energy usage and so manage costs and environmental impacts.

For further information, please contact Selectaglaze on 01727 837271; enquiries@selectaglaze.co.uk or visit: www.selectaglaze.co.uk

Selectaglaze are the acknowledged specialists and market leaders in the design, manufacture and installation of secondary window systems. Secondary glazing involves the installation of new, fully independent secondary window frames on the room side of the existing or primary windows. For further information, please contact Selectaglaze on 01727 837271; enquiries@selectaglaze.co.uk or visit: www.selectaglaze.co.uk

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