Windows for Hampshire Homes: A Guide by House Type

The right windows for your home depend more on when and how it was built than on anything else. Hampshire runs from medieval Winchester and Georgian Lymington to Thomas Ellis Owen's Victorian Southsea, the army towns of Aldershot and Farnborough, Edwardian Fleet and post-war Basingstoke.

This guide sets out the main types of home across Hampshire, where each is most common, and the windows and doors that suit it best. It also covers the conservation area and Article 4 rules in each council area, and what living in the New Forest or South Downs National Park means for new windows.

Aliluxe designs, supplies and installs aluminium, uPVC and timber windows and doors across Hampshire, including Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Winchester, Farnborough and Fleet. Every recommendation here comes from what we see on surveys.

Medieval and Georgian towns

Hampshire's old towns have timber-framed houses behind later brick fronts, and some of the best Georgian streets in the south.

Where you'll find them

• Winchester: the Riverside area has the city's best surviving timber-framed buildings, including the Old Blue Boar of 1340. Elsewhere, Georgian brick fronts often hide older timber frames.

• New Alresford: laid out around 1200, and after a fire in 1689 destroyed 117 houses, later rebuilt in a Georgian style with colour-washed brick and render.

• Lymington: the High Street, Quay Street and much of St Thomas's Street are essentially 18th century, with fine Georgian doorcases.

• Romsey and Emsworth: medieval buildings such as King John's House in Romsey, many refronted with Georgian elevations, and 18th-century houses in Emsworth's historic core.

What the windows are usually like

• Timber sliding sashes, typical of Winchester's walled-town terraces, and white-painted at St Cross.

• Full-height canted timber bays in Lymington, often with pairs of sliding sashes side by side.

• Timber casements on older and timber-framed buildings.

What we recommend

• Listed buildings need listed building consent for almost any window replacement or alteration. Timber is usually expected, and secondary glazing is often the most practical upgrade.

• Sliding sash windows suit Georgian fronts: REHAU uPVC sliding sash windows where the council accepts them, and timber where it doesn't.

• On older cottages, timber or flush casement windows are the closest match. Every opening is measured individually.

• Front doors: a panelled REHAU front door under the original doorcase keeps a Georgian front intact.

Regency and Victorian Southsea and Gosport

From the 1830s, Thomas Ellis Owen and others built the terraces and villas of Southsea, Owen having already worked for Robert Cruikshank on the Anglesey estate in Gosport, where The Crescent was built around 1828–30.

Where you'll find them

• Owen's Southsea: terraces and villas around the Southsea shopping streets, such as Furness Villa of 1858 on Eastern Villas Road, probably by Owen.

• Castle Road and East Southsea: Georgian and Victorian streets, and roads of contrasting character around Victoria Road South and The Circle.

• Craneswater and Eastern Parade: large Edwardian and interwar detached houses, some now flats.

• Anglesey and Lee-on-the-Solent: Regency villas and The Crescent in Anglesey, and a late Victorian resort at Lee-on-the-Solent, begun in 1884.

What the windows are usually like

• Six-over-six sashes with thin glazing bars on The Crescent, and narrow round-arched sashes on villas such as Furness Villa.

• Bay windows and French windows on Victorian villas.

• Many front windows already replaced. Concern about plastic windows and doors led Portsmouth to bring in Article 4 directions in streets such as Castle Road.

What we recommend

• Check Article 4 first. Many Southsea streets have directions covering front windows and doors (see below).

• Sliding sash windows with matching glazing bars: REHAU uPVC sliding sash windows or timber. For Castle Road, when the direction was made in 1998, Portsmouth said it preferred timber sashes but that uPVC windows matching their appearance were available.

• Flats in converted villas may need the freeholder's consent, and a planning application if the windows will look different. Tilt and turn windows are a good choice where the council allows them.

• On the seafront, ask about hardware and seals rated for coastal weather.

Victorian and Edwardian railway and army towns

The railway and the army made north-east Hampshire. Aldershot's military camp was set up in 1854, and its population grew from 875 in 1851 to 21,682 by 1871.

Where you'll find them

• Aldershot and Farnborough: officer and middle-class housing such as Cargate Avenue, and the tree-lined avenues of South Farnborough, laid out by 1874.

• Fleet: the station opened in 1847, and the main building boom came in the ten years after 1904. The Edwardian streets around Albert, Clarence and Connaught Roads keep timber sashes and front doors.

• Southampton and Eastleigh: Victorian and Edwardian villas and terraces in Shirley's St James Road area, mostly built between 1870 and 1914, and railway workers' cottages in Eastleigh.

• Emsworth and Winchester: Edwardian villas off Horndean Road in Emsworth, and Victorian middle-class houses on Christchurch Road, Winchester.

What the windows are usually like

• Timber sliding sashes, often with bay windows.

• Sash and French windows on larger villas.

• Panelled timber front doors.

What we recommend

• Sliding sash windows are the right choice for most of these houses: REHAU uPVC sliding sash windows, or timber where the council requires it.

• For bays, keep the sash style across all faces, or use REHAU bay windows where the bay already has casements.

• At the back, a kitchen extension with aluminium bi-fold or sliding doors is the most common upgrade we fit on these houses.

• Check Article 4 first in Cargate (Aldershot), Church Circle (Farnborough) and parts of Basingstoke.

Interwar and post-war homes

Between the wars, new houses spread around Hampshire's towns, from substantial detached houses in North Fleet to 1930s semis on Ashburton Road in Gosport. After the war, Basingstoke was designated a London overspill town in 1961 and grew rapidly.

Where you'll find them

• North Fleet: substantial detached houses built after the Elvetham Estate land sales in the early 1920s.

• Gosport and Lee-on-the-Solent: 1920s and 1930s houses in Anglesey, and interwar buildings in Lee by the architect Trevor Tatham, some Art Deco.

• Basingstoke: the Oakridge estate from 1952, then large estates after 1961, such as Black Dam in 1971. Andover also expanded as a London overspill town from the early 1960s.

What the windows are usually like

• Timber or steel casements on interwar houses, often with a two-storey bay.

• Art Deco and Moderne windows on some 1930s houses, many already replaced.

• Simple casements on post-war houses, mostly now uPVC.

What we recommend

• Casement windows suit these houses best. REHAU uPVC casement windows are good value, and Origin OW-80 aluminium gives a slimmer, flush finish.

• Where the originals were steel, heritage steel-look windows recreate the Crittall look with modern performance.

• For the bay, REHAU bay and bow windows keep the original shape. Ask about a structural check, as many 1930s bays have no proper lintel.

• Upper floors and flats: tilt and turn windows clean easily from inside, and Origin OW-70 slimline gives a modern look with more glass.

Conservation areas, Article 4 and national parks in Hampshire

Before you choose windows, check whether your home is listed, whether it is in a conservation area, whether an Article 4 direction applies, and whether your planning authority is a national park.

• Most houses, including houses in conservation areas without an Article 4 direction, can usually replace windows without planning permission, as long as the new ones are similar in appearance to the old (Planning Portal).

• Flats and maisonettes don't have the same permitted development rights as houses. Identical, like-for-like windows usually don't need permission, but windows that look different may, and if you're a leaseholder you may also need consent from your landlord, freeholder or management company (Planning Portal).

• Listed buildings need listed building consent for any significant works, inside or out, including windows (Planning Portal).

• An Article 4 direction removes permitted development rights, so even a like-for-like replacement can need an application. The Hampshire directions that cover windows are listed below.

• The New Forest and South Downs National Parks are planning authorities in their own right. The New Forest National Park Authority says householder controls in conservation areas are the same inside and outside a national park. Its design guide prefers timber windows, says powder-coated aluminium can suit in some cases, and says uPVC lacks the character of traditional timber (New Forest NPA).

• Portsmouth: Article 4 directions on many named streets in Owen's Southsea, Stanley Street, Castle Road and Craneswater and Eastern Parade withdraw the right to replace windows and doors on the front of single-family houses, so check whether your street is listed. For Castle Road, a council officer advised in 1998 that replacement windows that exactly match the originals (same glazing bars, same sliding sash opening) would not need an application (Portsmouth City Council).

• Basingstoke and Deane: Article 4 controls in the Basingstoke Town Centre, Fairfields, South View and Brookvale West conservation areas include replacement windows and doors. The council's Heritage SPD says historic windows in conservation areas should be retained and repaired where possible, and it asks you to show that windows are beyond repair before they are replaced (Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Heritage SPD).

• Rushmoor: the Cargate (Aldershot) direction covers adding, replacing or altering any window or door visible from a public road or open space. The Church Circle (Farnborough) direction covers any works to replace, improve or alter any window (Rushmoor Borough Council).

• Fareham: Article 4 directions in Titchfield and Wallington cover doors and windows visible from a road or open space. The council's guidance says that where replacement is permitted, standard uPVC double glazing will not be acceptable in most cases (Fareham Borough Council).

• Hart: Article 4 directions from 1998 cover alterations to the frontages of houses in most of Hart's conservation areas, which is likely to include front windows. The North Fleet direction covers front boundaries only, while Odiham Town Centre's (1970) covers the whole house (Hart District Council).

• Havant: the council's guidance says uPVC is not a traditional material, and that aluminium, uPVC or non-traditional timber replacements will generally not be permitted in conservation areas. Double-glazed replacements in unlisted buildings will normally only be permitted where the original window design is not compromised. Langstone's Article 4 direction covers replacing doors and windows on elevations facing a road or public space (there is also an older 1985 direction at Homewell, Havant) (Havant Borough Council).

• Southampton: Article 4 directions in Cranbury Place (2014, including Rockstone Lane) and Portswood Residents' Gardens remove some householder rights, and the Cranbury Place direction includes window alterations. Check the Portswood direction with the council. The Old Woolston and St Anne's Road directions were not approved (Southampton City Council).

• Winchester, Test Valley, East Hampshire, New Forest District, Gosport and Eastleigh: we found no Article 4 directions specifically covering windows. Winchester names the insertion of plastic windows as a change that erodes the character of its conservation areas.

Work done without the right consent can lead to enforcement and the windows being replaced at your cost. We check these rules for every survey, and can help with the application if one is needed.

Hampshire council areas at a glance

Council area	Typical housing	Conservation areas	Windows that often suit
Winchester	Medieval and Georgian city, Alresford	37	Timber sash, casements on older buildings
Portsmouth	Owen's Southsea, Victorian and Edwardian terraces	25	Sash, check Article 4 in Southsea
Southampton	Victorian Shirley, suburbs	20	Sash, casements
Basingstoke and Deane	Old town, post-war expanded town	More than 40	Casements, check Article 4 in the town centre, Fairfields, South View and Brookvale West
Hart	Edwardian Fleet, Odiham, villages	32	Sash in Fleet, check frontage Article 4s
Rushmoor	Victorian army towns Aldershot and Farnborough	9	Sash, check Article 4 in Cargate and Church Circle
East Hampshire	Alton, Petersfield (South Downs)	43 (19 in the South Downs)	Sash, casements
Test Valley	Medieval and Georgian Romsey, Andover	36	Sash, casements
New Forest District	Georgian Lymington, Ringwood, Fordingbridge	22 (plus 20 in the National Park)	Sash and bays in Lymington, timber preferred in the National Park
Fareham	Titchfield, Portchester, Fareham High Street	13	Slim timber, check Article 4 in Titchfield
Gosport	Regency Anglesey, Lee-on-the-Solent	18	Sash, casements
Havant	Georgian Emsworth, Langstone	14	Timber sash, slim double glazing may be allowed if it keeps the original design
Eastleigh	Railway cottages, Botley, Hamble	8	Casements, sash

Frequently asked questions

Can I fit uPVC windows in a Hampshire conservation area?

It depends on the house and the street. Outside Article 4 areas, an unlisted house can usually replace windows with ones of similar appearance without permission. Where permission is needed, councils differ: Fareham says standard uPVC double glazing won't be acceptable in most cases, while Havant will normally only permit double-glazed replacements in unlisted buildings where the original window design is not compromised, and generally not in uPVC. When the Castle Road direction in Southsea was made, Portsmouth said it preferred timber but that uPVC matching the look of timber sashes was available. We check the rules for your street at survey.

Do I need planning permission for new windows in the New Forest or South Downs National Park?

Not usually, if it's a house replacing windows like for like and it isn't listed or covered by an Article 4 direction. The New Forest National Park Authority says householder controls in conservation areas are the same inside and outside a national park. Listed buildings still need listed building consent. In a flat, windows that look different from the originals may need planning permission, and if an Article 4 direction covers windows you'll usually need to apply.

Do I need permission for new windows in Southsea?

Often, if you're on one of the many streets in Owen's Southsea, Castle Road, Stanley Street or Craneswater covered by an Article 4 direction. These cover front windows and doors on single-family houses. Windows that exactly match the originals may not need an application, but check your street with the council or with us first.

Do I need permission to replace windows in a flat?

Often. Identical, like-for-like replacements usually don't need planning permission, but windows that look different may, and rules vary by council. If you're a leaseholder, check your lease, as you may also need the freeholder's or management company's consent.

Do you cover my part of Hampshire?

Yes. We work across Hampshire, including Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Gosport, Farnborough, Andover, Winchester, Eastleigh, Havant, Fareham, Aldershot and Fleet.

More window guides

We have guides like this for Surrey, Kent, Hertfordshire, Sussex, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, and for Central, North, South, East and West London.

Get a free survey

Tell us about your home and we'll recommend the windows that suit it, check whether it is listed, in a conservation area or covered by an Article 4 direction, and give you a fixed quote. Call 020 4581 8351, email sales@aliluxe.co.uk or request a quote online. You can also browse our uPVC windows and doors and aluminium windows.

Please note: This guide is for general information only and is not planning, legal or professional advice. Planning rules, Article 4 directions and council guidance change over time, and how they apply depends on your property, so always check with your local planning authority before you start work (and with your landlord, freeholder or management company if you're a leaseholder). Replacement windows and doors must also meet Building Regulations. Historical and local details come from council, Historic England and other published sources and were believed to be correct when this guide was written in October 2026. Aliluxe cannot accept responsibility for decisions made solely on the basis of this guide, and we'll confirm the rules that apply to your home at survey.