Did you know that Barley Hall probably has the only horn windows in the U.K. In medieval times they were common in poorer people’s homes.

To make the horn window, the horns are boiled in water, this softens them and makes them a bit translucent. While still hot they can be cut easily and flattened into rectangles of a regular size. These are then polished using fine sand and beeswax, the polishing makes the pieces more translucent and stops dust clinging to them. Finally the polished horn rectangles are fitted into the window opening.

The replica horn windows at Barley Hall were expensive and time consuming to make. Why do you think they were only put in the low status rooms?