The setting
The New Bell Inn has been a pub since at least 1743, making it one of the oldest in Harwich. It sits in the Harwich Old Town Conservation Area among 18th- and 19th-century terraces, right next to a row of Grade II listed cottages. Its white rendered front, black fascia and painted lettering are a familiar part of the street, and it's registered as an Asset of Community Value.
The ground-floor windows weren't original. They were recent replacements in an unsuitable style, and so close to the sea they had suffered badly from salt and wind, with split and rotting timber.
The design
We drew the front of the pub as existing and as proposed. We also prepared a heritage statement, which looked at the building's history and significance, the conservation area and the setting of the listed cottages next door. Historic photographs of the pub helped guide the new window pattern.
The new windows are white-painted timber casements with 14mm heritage double glazing. The glazing is slim enough to look like traditional single glazing while keeping the heat in. Every opening keeps its number, position and size, and the roof, structure and layout are untouched. We also proposed that the window sections be sent to the council for approval before ordering, so the final detail would be right.
The outcome
Tendring District Council approved the application. The pub keeps its much-loved frontage, now with sound, properly detailed timber windows built to cope with the coastal weather.
