Sash windows in Otford, around the pond and the High Street

Otford sits on the River Darent about three miles north of Sevenoaks. Its conservation area was designated in 1969 and extended in 1976, 1990 and 2006. It covers about 16 hectares and holds roughly forty listed buildings, including part of the Archbishop's Palace that William Warham began in 1514 and the village pond, which was itself listed in 1975.

Otford is mostly a casement village. The council's appraisal says windows are generally small wooden casements, often with leaded lights, and that sashes are found on the grander properties: it names Colet's Well, Pond House and Holmesdale. Brick is the most common walling, with local ragstone, timber framing behind later brick, tile hanging on upper floors and roofs of Kent peg or nib tiles.

So a sash job in Otford is usually one of three things. A Georgian or early Victorian brick house on the High Street or round the Green, where the sashes are the main feature of the front. A listed building, where the work needs listed building consent and timber. Or a later Victorian or Edwardian house that was built with sashes from the start. Otford station opened in 1882, and the village grew towards it.

The Article 4 question

Otford is the one place on this site where the council's own appraisal recommended an Article 4(2) direction, to stop further erosion of historic character. It singled out the terraced cottages on the south side of the High Street, where it said cheap plastic replacement windows and concrete roof tiles should be resisted. We have not found that a direction was made, but because it was recommended, ask the council's planning team to confirm the position for your address before ordering.

Whatever the legal position, the appraisal says windows should normally be white painted. On an unlisted Otford house that points to a white uPVC or aluminium heritage sash with the original bar pattern, set back in the reveal. The 1940s houses on The Butts and the Charne estates were built with casements and are better served by flush casements than by sashes.

Background: Otford on Wikipedia.

Planning a frontage in Otford? Ask for a survey or call 01732 900157.