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Crittall Windows

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Historic British manufacturer of steel-framed windows and doors associated with Art Deco and Modernist architecture.

Last updated August 22, 2026

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Overview

Crittall Windows is an English manufacturer of steel-framed windows and related architectural products. Its origins date to 1849, when Francis Berrington Crittall acquired the Bank Street ironmongery business in Braintree, Essex. The enterprise initially operated as an ironmongery concern; manufacturing of metal windows began in 1884 under the direction of Crittall's son, Francis Henry Crittall. The business was incorporated as Crittall Manufacturing Company Ltd in 1889. The company became one of the best-known producers of standardized steel windows during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its products were used in industrial buildings, public institutions, housing, commercial premises and major architectural projects. Crittall windows became particularly associated with the Art Deco and Modernist movements because their narrow steel sections allowed large areas of glazing, strong geometric patterns and relatively slender frames. The brand's installations have included buildings such as the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Coventry Cathedral, Kew Gardens and the Lord's Cricket Ground. Crittall windows were also used in the RMS Titanic and in buildings across North America, Europe and Asia. International expansion accelerated in the early twentieth century. In 1907, Crittall acquired the Fenestra joint patent from the German company Fenestra in Düsseldorf and began operating the Detroit Steel Product Co., described in the reference material as its first steel-window factory in the United States. By the 1920s, the company had established operations or businesses in South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the United States, followed by a Shanghai company in 1931. It also developed a manufacturing presence in Britain beyond Braintree, including a Witham works opened in 1919. The company created the model village of Silver End, Essex, in 1926, reflecting the paternalistic industrial-community practices of the era. Crittall's manufacturing capacity was redirected to wartime production during both world wars. Its factories produced munitions during the First World War before returning to window manufacture, and the company again undertook munitions work during the Second World War. In 1939 it built its first galvanizing plant at Witham. After the Second World War, Crittall broadened its activities into aluminium windows and curtain walling. During the 1960s, it also contributed to the development of pressure-chamber weather-performance testing standards used in the United Kingdom. The post-war decades brought repeated changes in ownership and corporate structure. Crittall merged with Henry Hope & Sons in 1965 to form Crittall Hope. Slater Walker Securities acquired that business in 1968, and Norcros acquired Crittall-Hope in 1974. The Crittall Windows businesses in Braintree and Witham were subsequently formed. The company moved to new premises in Braintree in 1990, was acquired by Apax Venture Capital in 1995 and sold to Marmon Corporation in 1997. Laurel Holdings acquired it in 2002, followed by a management buy-out in 2004. In 2007, the company opened a new factory and head office in Witham. Today, Crittall remains associated with the manufacture and specification of steel windows and doors for new construction, renovation and heritage projects. Its market position rests on the combination of industrial heritage, architectural recognition, conservation relevance and contemporary performance requirements. Its historic products are found in thousands of buildings, while its current offering continues the visual language of slim steel framing for residential, commercial and public architecture.

History

Crittall's history began in 1849 in Braintree, Essex, where Francis Berrington Crittall purchased the Bank Street ironmongery business. The firm remained an ironmongery operation for several decades. A major change came in 1884, when Francis Henry Crittall began manufacturing metal windows. Crittall Manufacturing Company Ltd was incorporated in 1889. The early business expanded from a small local concern into an industrial producer: employment rose from 11 workers in 1880 to 34 in the 1890s and approximately 500 by 1918, while production increased substantially. The company adopted a more industrial and international model in the early twentieth century. In 1907 it acquired the Fenestra joint patent from a German company based in Düsseldorf and began operating the Detroit Steel Product Co., its first American steel-window factory according to the cited historical account. The company also entered into a manufacturing agreement with the Belgian firm Braat in 1918. A works at Witham, Essex, opened in 1919, partly to produce standardized metal windows for the British government's postwar housing programme. During the 1920s, Crittall established operations or companies in South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the United States and other markets. A Shanghai company followed in 1931. The business also maintained British manufacturing sites, including a factory at Foots Cray in Kent. In Essex, the company created the model village of Silver End in 1926. This development formed part of the industrial welfare and employer-community tradition of the period. The company's public identity during this era was strongly connected with W. F. Crittall, known as “Mr Pink,” who served as a director and designer and was associated with the development of the steel-window forms later linked to Modernist architecture. Crittall's factories were used for munitions production during the First World War. After the war, the company returned to steel windows and continued its expansion. In 1939 it established its first galvanizing plant at Witham. During the Second World War, manufacturing was again redirected toward munitions. These wartime periods demonstrated the company's ability to adapt its industrial capacity beyond architectural products. The postwar business diversified. During the 1950s it began producing aluminium windows and curtain walling, while in the 1960s it played a role in developing pressure-chamber methods for testing weather performance. These activities reflected the industry's transition from traditional steel windows toward broader building-envelope technologies and more formalized performance standards. Corporate restructuring became a defining feature of the later twentieth century. In 1965, Crittall merged with Henry Hope & Sons to form Crittall Hope. Slater Walker Securities acquired the combined company in 1968, and Norcros acquired Crittall-Hope in 1974. The Crittall Windows businesses in Braintree and Witham were subsequently constituted. The company moved to new Braintree premises in 1990. Apax Venture Capital acquired it in 1995, followed by a sale to Marmon Corporation of Chicago in 1997. Laurel Holdings acquired the business in 2002, and a management buy-out followed in 2004. In 2007, Crittall opened a new factory and head office in Witham, close to its historic Essex origins. Architecturally, Crittall's reputation has been shaped by the use of its steel windows in prominent public, institutional, industrial and residential buildings. The brand is especially associated with early twentieth-century Art Deco and Modernist architecture, where slender steel frames and repeated glazing grids became important visual elements. Examples identified in the reference material include the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Coventry Cathedral, Kew Gardens, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Lord's Cricket Ground in the United Kingdom; the Asia Insurance Building and Capitol Theatre in Singapore; St. John's College in Hong Kong; and buildings connected with universities, museums, gardens and commercial districts in the United States. Crittall also had a notable connection with Braintree Town Football Club. The club originated in 1898 as Manor Works FC, a works team associated with the company. It became Crittall Athletic FC in 1921 and later Braintree & Crittall Athletic FC. When the connection with Crittall ended in 1981, the club adopted the name Braintree Town FC. The club's nickname, “The Iron,” and historical crest refer to its industrial origins and association with Crittall's metal-window works.

  • 2007

    New Witham factory and head office

    [1]

    Crittall opened a new factory and head office in Witham, Essex.

  • 2004

    Management buy-out

    [1]

    The business became the subject of a management buy-out.

  • 2002

    Laurel Holdings acquisition

    [1]

    Laurel Holdings acquired Crittall.

  • 1997

    Marmon Corporation acquisition

    [1]

    Marmon Corporation of Chicago acquired the company from Apax.

  • 1995

    Apax Venture Capital acquisition

    [1]

    Crittall was acquired by Apax Venture Capital.

  • 1990

    Move to new Braintree premises

    [1]

    The company moved to new premises in Braintree.

  • 1974

    Norcros acquisition

    [1]

    Norcros acquired Crittall-Hope, after which the Crittall Windows Braintree and Witham businesses were formed.

  • 1968

    Slater Walker acquisition

    [1]

    Slater Walker Securities acquired Crittall Hope.

  • 1965

    Merger with Henry Hope & Sons

    [1]

    Crittall merged with Henry Hope & Sons to form Crittall Hope.

  • 1939

    First galvanizing plant built

    [1]

    Crittall built its first galvanizing plant at Witham shortly before renewed wartime munitions production.

Products and positioning

Premium and heritage-oriented steel window manufacturer combining historic architectural credibility with contemporary glazing, thermal and weather-performance requirements.

  • Steel window system

    W20 steel window system

    The W20 is a steel window system associated with Crittall's established architectural product range. It is suited to projects requiring the narrow sightlines, repeated glazing patterns and durable metal construction characteristic of traditional steel windows. The system is relevant to both refurbishment and new-build applications, including projects where designers seek a heritage or Modernist appearance while specifying a manufactured system rather than individually fabricated frames.

  • Windows · 1884

    Steel-framed windows

    Steel-framed windows are Crittall's defining product category. Their slender sections and grid-based glazing arrangements became widely used in industrial, institutional, residential and commercial architecture during the twentieth century. The category continues to support conservation work, replacement projects and contemporary architecture that uses historic-looking steel framing as a visual feature.

  • Doors

    Steel doors

    Crittall's steel-door offering extends the brand's slim-framed glazed aesthetic to entrances and internal or external partitions. Steel doors can be used where designers want continuity between window grids, screens and door leaves, particularly in residential renovations, heritage properties, commercial interiors and Modernist-inspired projects.

  • Architectural screens and partitions

    Internal glazed screens

    Internal glazed screens apply Crittall's steel-framing language to room dividers and architectural partitions. They are used to separate spaces while preserving borrowed light and visual connection. The format is especially associated with contemporary interiors that reinterpret industrial and Art Deco detailing through slim metal profiles and repeated panes.

  • Building-envelope systems

    Aluminium windows and curtain walling

    After the Second World War, Crittall expanded beyond steel windows into aluminium windows and curtain walling. These products represented a broader building-envelope capability and reflected the postwar shift toward lightweight metal construction and larger glazed façades.

Brand decisions

  • 2007

    New Witham factory and head officeStrategy

    Background

    The company required updated production and administrative facilities while retaining its historic association with Essex.

    Action taken

    Crittall opened a new factory and head office in Witham.

    Aftermath

    The move established Witham as the company's reported base and manufacturing location.

    Source

  • 1965

    Merger with Henry Hope & SonsM&A

    Background

    The postwar window industry was consolidating while manufacturers broadened their product and building-envelope capabilities.

    Action taken

    Crittall merged with Henry Hope & Sons to create Crittall Hope.

    Aftermath

    The merger began a sequence of ownership changes that shaped the company's later corporate structure.

    Source

  • 1919

    Witham works opened for standardized housing windowsStrategy

    Background

    Postwar reconstruction and government housing programmes created demand for standardized metal windows.

    Action taken

    Crittall opened a manufacturing works at Witham, Essex, partly to supply standard metal windows for the United Kingdom government's housing scheme.

    Aftermath

    Witham became an important part of the company's long-term manufacturing presence near its Essex origins.

    Source

  • 1907

    Expansion through the Fenestra patent and American productionStrategy

    Background

    Crittall sought to strengthen its technical position and reach overseas markets as standardized metal windows developed into an international building product.

    Action taken

    The company acquired the Fenestra joint patent from a German company in Düsseldorf and began operating the Detroit Steel Product Co., establishing an American manufacturing foothold.

    Aftermath

    The move contributed to Crittall's wider international expansion during the early twentieth century.

    Source

Sources2 sources

  1. 1Crittall Windowsen.wikipedia.org
  2. 2Crittall Windows official websitecrittall-windows.co.uk

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