Valerie lives in a beautiful stone cottage nestled in the picturesque town of Stow-on-the-Wold. In 2023, she reached out to us at Woodcraft Windows with a clear vision: to restore her home’s traditional character by replacing a mix of deteriorated and unsightly windows with elegant timber sash windows.

The ground-floor bay windows were in a particularly poor state — large areas of the timber had rotted away, and parts were covered with fungus. Upstairs, modern uPVC sash windows were misted, and blown glazing units had been installed in the past, completely out of character with the rest of the house. Valerie disliked them immensely and was passionate about returning the property to its original aesthetic.

One of the biggest technical challenges was replacing the bay windows on the ground floor without disturbing the delicate canopy above — a task requiring precision and experience.

We carefully surveyed the property and designed bespoke hardwood sash windows, perfectly tailored to suit the building’s character and proportions. All windows were manufactured from durable hardwood, ensuring longevity, beauty, and structural integrity.

Our experienced installation team worked with care to remove the old units and install the new sash windows without compromising the integrity of the surrounding stonework. The final result was stunning — Valerie was overjoyed. She told us the transformation had restored her home to its former glory.

Just weeks after installation, Valerie called with distressing news. During the annual horse fair, vandals had smashed one of her brand new windows in the middle of the night using a traffic cone. Devastated and frightened, Valerie had to board up the window while she pursued an insurance claim.

Unfortunately, the insurance provider declined to cover the full cost of proper restoration, instead offering a cheaper alternative. Valerie reluctantly agreed to let them proceed — but the results were disappointing. The replacement lacked detail, failed to match the original profiles, and compromised the appearance of the property.

Unable to accept the substandard repair, Valerie decided to fund the proper restoration herself. She returned to us, and we carefully replaced the damaged components, ensuring the new work was seamlessly integrated. Once completed, the window looked as though the incident had never occurred.

Valerie was incredibly grateful for our ongoing support, craftsmanship, and attention to detail. She described the experience as “heartbreaking turned heartwarming” and has kept us on file for future projects — promising to recommend Woodcraft Windows to others.