Windows Onto History

From the glittering stained glass in medieval cathedrals to modernist high-rises, windows have illuminated our buildings for centuries. But, argues Rachel Hurdley, the presenter of a new BBC Radio 4 documentary on the history of windows, they can also shed light on the past

- By Rachel Hurdley

Windows are too often treated as merely providers of light, ventilation and views. But there is little more terrifying than a dark window with an unknown face peering in. And there are few more useful places for covert entrances and exits, as prime minister Stanley Baldwin found in December 1936. Pursued by the press, he finally crept into Buckingham Palace through a back window, to talk with King Edward VIII about his forthcoming abdication announcement.

“The history of architecture is also the history of windows, pronounced Le Corbusier, a pioneer of modernist architecture. As we shall see through the following seven examples, the history of windows is also the history of war, politics, technology, aesthetics and morality. Not simply the eyes of the house”, windows open up connections between architecture and socio-cultural change, from international conflict to the welfare state.

1 On the defensive

To see how windows changed history, look no further than Chepstow Castle. One of the first stone castles in Britain, it was built from 1067, a reward from William the Conqueror to his follower, William Fitz Osbern. Its role as a stronghold on the Welsh banks of the Wye was vital, a symbol of the conquering Normans and a defence against the Welsh.

Its fortifications remained poor until around 1190, when William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, strengthened them. He introduced the arrow slits - which, as openings in the walls that allow those inside to look out, and of course fire arrows through, can be regarded as fitting windows for castle towers. The Chepstow Castle arrow slits are some of the earliest in medieval conflict architecture.