Issue 37 Spring 23 WEB - Flipbook - Page 45
Double Glazing
for Grade I Ledston Hall
Ledston Hall, located on the outskirts of Leeds, dates back to the 11th Century and was
originally built as a Grange and Chapel by the monks of Pontefract Priory. It was the former
home of Lady Betty Hastings one of Leeds’ greatest benefactors. Lady Betty was an English
philanthropist and a supporter of women’s education. Ledston Hall gained its Grade I listed
status in 1952 due to its impressive architecture and bold history. However, in recent years the
Hall had fallen into disrepair and was on the Heritage at Risk Register.
In 2015, with the help of the client Carter Jonas and
internationally renowned Purcell Architects, planning
permission and listed building consent was awarded to
convert the Hall into 10 private residential dwellings.
A £9M redevelopment of the building and grounds was
instigated by the Wheler Foundation a charitable trust
who now owns and is the current custodian of the Hall.
The glazing to the Hall included a combination of
wooden sliding sash windows, genuine leaded lights and
steel opening casements which had been fitted to the
parts of the Hall that had stone mullions.
After a number of consultations involving Historic
England, Touchstone Glazing, the sister company to
Design Glass was invited to install a sample of their
patented double-glazing system. Touchstone was to
provide a glazing solution which would demonstrate how
a new double-glazed window could look virtually identical
to the original single glazed leaded lights. Touchstone
manufacture their Insulead units using their own faceted
glass with traditional lead came. Touchstone provides a
range of solutions that help historic buildings become
more thermally efficient whilst maintaining their
characterful appearance.
In 2020 Purcell approached Design Glass to provide a
glazing option for repairing and refurbishing the leaded
lights to the Hall. However, as leaded lights provide limited thermal efficiency an alternative glazing solution
which would be in keeping with the Hall was needed.
The outcome was a thermally efficient, double-glazed
solution which, Historic England agreed, looked aesthetically in keeping with the original leaded lights of the Hall.
To retain elements of the historic material, however, it was
also considered important to refurbish some of the original
Below, completed installation of Touchstone’s Insulead and Steelyte glazing system
