Replacement windows in Washington, under Chanctonbury Ring

Washington lies five miles west of Steyning at the foot of the Downs, where the A24 and the A283 meet, with Chanctonbury Ring on the hill above.

The parish is really two places. The old village, south of the A283, has over forty listed buildings according to the parish council's history, and was bypassed when the A24 was rebuilt as a modern main road in the late 1960s. Its church of St Mary was rebuilt from 1865, keeping its late medieval west tower. The Frankland Arms is a nineteenth-century inn. North of the main road, Heath Common grew up in the twentieth century, partly from the Sanctuary community founded after the First World War, and now has more homes than the old village.

National Park boundary

All of the parish south of the A283, including the old village, and part of Washington Common were included in the South Downs National Park. For homes there, planning is handled by the National Park Authority's own team. Horsham District Council also maps a Washington conservation area. Most of Heath Common lies north of the A283 and outside the Park, where Horsham District Council is the planning authority.

That split decides what you can fit. In the old village, a listed house needs listed building consent for any window change, and an unlisted cottage in the conservation area should keep its appearance: flush casements in the same pattern are the safe choice, or timber where listing calls for it. We have not found an Article 4 direction for windows in Washington, but check with the National Park Authority if your house is in the old village.

Heath Common and later houses

The twentieth-century houses and bungalows on and around Heath Common have no period pattern to copy. On sandy, tree-lined plots they often have dated frames and small glass areas, and slim aluminium makes a real difference to the light.

Washington never got its railway, so it stayed a village rather than becoming a commuter suburb. The proportion of genuinely old houses in the core is high for its size, which is why it is worth knowing which side of the A283 you are on before you get quotes.

For a Washington survey, call 01903 948046, or send your details.

Background: Washington on Wikipedia.