Swindon and the villages around it, places like Wootton Bassett, Highworth and Cricklade, have no shortage of older properties. Victorian terraces near the railway village, stone cottages out towards the Cotswold edge, and 1930s semis all across the town. If you own one of these homes, choosing replacement windows is not quite as simple as picking whatever is cheapest at the local showroom. Get it wrong and a lovely old house can end up looking flat and out of place. Get it right and you keep the character while gaining warmth, security and low maintenance. Here is what we would consider if we were in your shoes.

Know what your home is actually asking for

Different eras of housing come with different window proportions and details, and matching these matters more than people expect.

• Victorian and Edwardian terraces (common around the older parts of Swindon town centre) usually had tall sash windows with narrow glazing bars. A chunky, modern-looking casement in one of these openings tends to look wrong straight away.
• 1930s semis, which make up a large share of housing across areas like Old Town and Rodbourne, often had steel-framed Crittall-style windows with slim distinctive bars. uPVC alternatives that mimic this look keep the period feel while sorting out the draughts and condensation those original steel frames were notorious for.
• Stone cottages and farmhouses out towards the villages near Cricklade and Purton often call for flush casement windows, which sit within the frame rather than proud of it, giving a neater, more traditional finish that suits stone or render.

Sash windows without the sash window headaches

A lot of homeowners in the older parts of Swindon love the look of timber sash windows but not the reality of them: rattling in the wind, painted shut, or letting in the cold. Modern uPVC and timber-alternative sash windows are built to replicate the original box sash mechanism, complete with horns and authentic glazing bar patterns, while giving you double glazing, working weights and catches, and none of the annual repainting.

Flush casements for a traditional finish

Flush casement windows have become a popular middle ground for older properties across Wiltshire. Unlike a standard casement, which sits forward of the frame, a flush casement sits within it, echoing the timber windows found in cottages and farmhouses. They work particularly well on stone and brick properties in villages like Lydiard Millicent or Purton where a modern-looking window would stand out for the wrong reasons.

Colour matters as much as shape

White uPVC has its place, but it is rarely the right choice for a period property. Foiled finishes in colours such as chartwell green, anthracite grey, or cream are widely available now and can make a huge difference to how a window sits against stone, brick or render. If your street has a mix of period details, it is worth a walk around to see what colours and styles your neighbours have gone with, since planning departments in Swindon do pay attention to street scene consistency, particularly in conservation areas.

A note on conservation areas and listed buildings

If your property is listed, or sits within one of Swindon’s conservation areas, such as the Railway Village, there will usually be tighter rules on window replacement, sometimes requiring timber rather than uPVC, and specific glazing bar patterns. It is always worth checking with Swindon Borough Council before ordering anything. We are happy to advise on this as part of a quote, since we deal with these situations regularly.

Getting the balance right

The good news is that you rarely have to choose between keeping your home’s character and having modern, efficient windows. The materials and manufacturing available now mean a period-style window can perform every bit as well as a plain modern one, often better, while looking like it has always belonged there. If you are weighing up window options for an older property in Swindon or the surrounding villages, we would be glad to come and take a look and talk through what would suit your home. Get in touch or call us on 01793 480155 for a free, no obligation quote.