Cottage & Georgian bar windows

Those neat grids of small panes are what give period homes their charm — the “six-over-six” Georgian window and the cottage casement with its little leaded lights. Here’s how glazing bars work, the three ways they’re made, and how to get an authentic look without the draughts.

What are Georgian bars?

Georgian bars are the slim bars that divide a window into a grid of smaller panes. The style dates from an era when large sheets of glass were expensive, so windows were made up of many small panes held in a framework of bars — the classic six-over-six or eight-over-eight sash. Today the small panes are decorative rather than structural, but they remain one of the quickest ways to make a modern window read as period-appropriate.

They’re most associated with sash windows, but bars work equally well on casements and on cottage-style flush casements — the combination is a cottage classic.

The three ways bars are made

• Astragal bars — the most authentic option. Individual bars are bonded to both faces of the glass and stand proud, casting real shadow lines just like traditional joinery. Best for conservation areas and homes where accuracy matters.
• Applied (stick-on) bars — bars fixed to the outside faces of the glass over a single sealed unit; a good middle ground that looks convincing from normal viewing distance.
• Internal (Duplex) bars — spacer bars set between the panes inside the sealed unit. The cheapest and easiest to clean, though the flat, shadow-free look is less authentic up close.

Which you choose usually comes down to budget versus authenticity — and, in listed or conservation-area homes, what the local authority will accept. There genuinely are windows for every home, period cottages very much included.

Getting the details right

Authenticity is all in the proportions: bar width, the number of panes, and matching the layout across the whole elevation so the house reads as a set. Slim heritage glazing, leaded designs and traditional colours finish the look — and you can combine bars with obscure or acoustic glass where you need it, so it’s worth being able to get glass options priced alongside the frames. If you’re restoring a period property room by room, our window styles by home type hub helps you keep everything consistent. These guides pair well:

Planning a period project

True astragal bars and full period restorations sit at the higher end, so budgeting helps. Funding and contribution options may be available for those who qualify, subject to eligibility and a home survey, and £0-upfront options may be available for some households. For a whole-house heritage job, read up on funding routes for bigger projects before you start.