Serving The Circus & surrounding areas
Sash Window Repair & Restoration at The Circus, Bath
John Wood the Elder's Circus is one of the finest Georgian set pieces in Europe — three curved terraces of Grade I listed townhouses where the sash windows are as much architecture as joinery. We repair and restore original sashes across the Circus, Gay Street, Bennett Street and the surrounding Georgian core, keeping original glass, profiles and proportions intact.
Request a Free Restoration Survey
Tell us about your windows and we will arrange a no-obligation survey, usually within five working days.
Period windows at The Circus
The Circus was begun in 1754, and its windows are early Georgian in character: tall six-over-six sashes with thick ovolo glazing bars, deep Bath stone reveals and box frames built into the ashlar as the facade went up. Later alterations on some houses introduced plate glass and horned Victorian sashes, so no two openings are quite alike.
The curved plan is the local quirk. Box frames were built to a radius, sashes are occasionally slightly tapered, and replacement sections have to be scribed rather than cut square. Bath stone holds moisture against the back of the frame, so sill and bottom-rail decay is the norm on the weather side while the upper joinery stays sound.
Traffic on the Circus and Gay Street adds vibration and pollution, which works putty lines loose and rattles sashes in their runs. Routed perimeter seals and rebalanced weights transform how these rooms feel without altering anything visible from the street.
Sill and bottom-rail rot in stone reveals
Bath stone holds damp against the frame. We splice matched timber and reinstate the drip groove.
Loose putty and drumming glass
Traffic vibration works putty loose. We re-bed and re-putty, retaining original crown glass wherever possible.
Rattling sashes on the curved frontage
Wind funnels around the curve. Hidden brush seals hold the sash firm without changing the profile.
Painted-shut upper sashes
Decades of repainting seize the meeting rail. We free, ease and rebalance so both sashes run.
What we do for The Circus homeowners
Timber rot & sill replacement
Spliced repairs, new sills, cords, weights and pulleys — keeping the original sash wherever the timber allows.
Learn moreDraught proofing
Full perimeter brush seals routed into the sash and frame to stop draughts, rattles and heat loss.
Learn moreHeritage slimline glazing
Slim double-glazed units in restored or new sashes, sized for narrow Georgian and Victorian rebates.
Learn more
Streets around The Circus we cover
The Circus
Grade I curved terraces with early Georgian sashes and occasional tapered openings.
Gay Street
Georgian townhouses running down to Queen Square, many with original crown glass.
Bennett Street & Saville Row
Grand Georgian frontages with tall first-floor sashes and heavy counterweights.
Queen Square
John Wood's earlier set piece — palazzo-fronted houses with fine original joinery.
Barton Street & Trim Street
Smaller Georgian houses with six-over-six sashes and stone-reveal damp.
George Street & Milsom Street
Upper-floor sashes above commercial units, worked around trading hours.
How a Circus job runs
Step 1
Free survey
We open every sash, probe the timber, note any tapered or curved openings and price the work per window in writing.
Step 2
Consent check
We confirm listing status and advise what is like-for-like repair and what needs listed building consent from BANES.
Step 3
Workshop joinery
Sashes are removed for splicing, sill renewal and bar repairs; openings are boarded and secure the same day.
Step 4
Refit and seal
Sashes are rehung, rebalanced, draught sealed and finished in a breathable heritage paint system.
Listed buildings and the World Heritage Site
The Circus is Grade I listed and sits at the heart of the City of Bath World Heritage Site. Bath & North East Somerset Council expects original joinery to be retained wherever possible, and any change to profiles, glass or materials goes through listed building consent with full supporting detail.
Like-for-like repair and internal draught proofing normally need no application. Where consent is required — for example slimline double glazing — we prepare the profile drawings, unit specification and glass details so the application reflects exactly what will be installed.
Why Circus owners choose us
- Repair-first approach — we replace only the timber that has gone
- Matched slow-grown timber and traditional linseed oil putty
- Original crown and cylinder glass retained wherever it can be safely reused
- Sashes rebalanced so they open with one hand
- Fully insured, tidy working and dust-sheeted interiors
- Guaranteed repairs and a 10-year guarantee on the draught seal system
- Curved and tapered openings scribed and matched, not forced square
- Specifications prepared for BANES conservation officers
The same workshop and joiners carry out our sash window repairs in Bath.
The Circus Sash Window FAQs
Travel, consent, timescales and cost for period properties in and around The Circus.
Book a free sash window survey in The Circus
Written, per-window quotes with no obligation and no travel charge.