Two independently opening leaves, so the top half can be open to the garden while the bottom stays locked. Country character with a solid insulated core and modern locking.
A stable door is split horizontally into two leaves that operate independently. Open the upper leaf and a kitchen fills with light and fresh air; the lower leaf stays shut and locked, which is precisely why the design has never gone out of use on working country houses.
Most of the stable doors we install across the Cotswolds and the Thames Valley go on the back or the side of the house, into a kitchen, a boot room or a utility. That is where the practical benefit is felt. Cooking with the top leaf open clears steam without leaving the whole doorway wide open, and the lower leaf keeps a dog in, a toddler in and the neighbour's cat out.
Composite construction changes what the design can do. A traditional timber stable door moves with the weather, and once two leaves start to swell the meeting rail is the first thing to bind. A composite leaf on a thermally broken frame keeps its shape, so both halves keep closing cleanly and the shoot bolts keep engaging as they should. Colour-through skins mean the exposed face of a rear door that catches the weather is not repainted every few years.
Character is retained through the detailing rather than the construction. Glazing in the upper leaf, ledged and braced or panelled moulding, a heritage green or off-white finish, and traditional ironmongery on the outer face all read as they should against stone or brick. On a barn conversion or a cottage the door usually looks as though it has always been there, which is the point.
At your free home survey we look at how the doorway is used day to day, the exposure it faces, and whether a low threshold makes sense for the way people come and go with bins, boots and shopping. Installation is by our own directly employed fitters, registered under our Assure registration, covered by an insurance-backed guarantee and our 20 Year Guarantee, and set out in a fixed written quotation beforehand.
The appeal is genuinely practical, which is unusual for a design chosen partly for its looks.
The upper leaf opens for air and light while the lower leaf stays closed and locked, which no single-leaf door can offer.
The split leaf, glazing in the upper half and traditional ironmongery sit naturally on cottages, farmhouses and barn conversions.
Young children and dogs stay safely inside with the top open, which makes a kitchen door far more usable through spring and summer.
A solid insulated core, thermally broken frame and weather seals on both leaves keep a rear kitchen or utility genuinely warm in winter.
Multi-point locking on the lower leaf and shoot bolts on the upper mean the closed door secures as a single unit.
No swelling, no sticking meeting rail and no repainting, which matters most on the exposed rear elevation where these doors usually go.
The split, the glazing and the swing are all decided at survey, because they change how the door works in the room.
The most common arrangement: a glazed top half for daylight into a kitchen or boot room over a solid, hard-wearing lower leaf.
Both leaves solid, for exposed elevations, side passages and doorways where privacy matters more than borrowed light.
Astragal or leaded divisions within the upper leaf, keeping a cottage or period elevation consistent with the windows around it.
Where the meeting rail sits changes the whole look. A higher split reads traditionally; a lower one gives a larger glazed top leaf.
Each leaf opens on its own, with the option to bolt the two together and use the door as a single leaf when you prefer.
Inward or outward opening, hinged left or right, set by how the room is laid out and where the door needs to sit when open.
Standard and low thresholds, chosen with rear-elevation weather exposure and step access both taken into account.
Where a house needs both, a stable door and a second rear door can be specified in the same colour, glass and hardware for consistency.
Arrange your free home survey, expert advice, accurate measuring and a fixed written quotation with no pressure.
Heritage greens, off-whites and grained finishes are the natural choices for a stable door, but the full range is available.
The most requested modern finish, and one that works as well on a rendered new build as it does against Cotswold stone. Restrained rather than stark.
A traditional choice for townhouses and Georgian porches, particularly alongside polished or antique hardware and a divided glazed panel.
From deep navy to softer heritage blues. Confident on a painted or rendered elevation without dominating the front of the house.
Chartwell and the deeper heritage greens are a natural fit for cottages and country homes across the Cotswolds and the Thames Valley.
Warmer than a bright white and easier on older stone and lime render, especially where the door sits within a recessed porch.
Oak and darker wood-grain finishes carry the texture of stained timber with none of the sanding, sealing or repainting.
A classic front door colour that reads well on brick and rendered elevations, and holds its depth because the colour runs through the skin.
Every finish is a colour-through skin, so the colour is part of the door rather than a coat of paint over it. That is why a composite door does not need repainting, and why scuffs from bikes, prams and deliveries stay far less visible than they would on timber. Interiors can be specified in a different shade to the outside, which is often the right decision where a hallway is narrow or north-facing. We bring samples to your free home survey so you can hold the colour against your own brick, stone or render rather than judging it from a screen.
Glazing in the upper leaf and the ironmongery on the outer face do most of the work in making a stable door look right.
Diamond and square lead patterns for period elevations, where the original door and fanlight would have carried divided glazing.
Softly etched and floral designs that admit daylight into a hallway while keeping the view in from the path obscured.
Geometric designs suited to 1920s and 1930s houses, particularly where the original stained glass has been lost.
Clean vertical and horizontal glazing for modern elevations, giving light and a sense of height without any decorative pattern.
Lever and lever-pad handles in polished chrome, satin, black or antique finishes, chosen to match the ironmongery elsewhere on the house.
Long pull handles for flush and contemporary doors, giving a clean vertical line and a comfortable, positive grip.
Traditional knockers, with or without a spyhole, for houses where a doorbell would look out of place on the face of the door.
Letterplates with brush and flap seals so the draught proofing of the door is not undone by the post, in finishes matched to the handle.
Laminated glass options are available throughout, which is worth specifying wherever glazing sits within reach of the lock or beside a quiet side path. All hardware is chosen at survey stage and set out in your fixed written quotation, so the finish on the handle, knocker, letterplate and hinges is decided together rather than left to chance.
A split door is not a compromised door. This specification is standard on every stable door we install.
Multi-point locking secures the door at several points along the frame rather than at the handle alone, which is what makes forcing the leaf so much harder.
High-security cylinders resist the snapping, drilling and bumping methods most commonly used on older front doors, with upgrade options available.
Reinforced, thermally broken frames tested to PAS 24, the recognised British standard for enhanced security doorsets.
Laminated glazing holds together when struck, which matters most on glazed panels, sidelights and any glass within reach of the lock.
A solid insulated core and modern weather-sealing keep the hallway warmer and draught-free, a marked change from an older timber or uPVC door.
The same density and sealing that hold heat in also reduce road and weather noise reaching the hall and the rooms leading off it.
A selection of door photography showing split leaves, glazing and finishes.
A selection of recent Thames Frames door installations completed across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Berkshire.
A classic panelled composite front door in a deep, understated colour, replacing a tired timber original on a well-proportioned Georgian family home. Specified with laminated glazing and high-security multi-point locking.
A traditional stable door in heritage cream, sensitively specified for a stone cottage on the edge of Cirencester. Independently opening leaves with modern insulation, weather-sealing and security.
A composite front door flanked by full-height glazed sidelights, brightening a previously dark hallway on a period townhouse in the centre of Tetbury without compromising security.
A pair of composite double doors specified for a generous entrance on a country family home, balanced proportions, contemporary hardware and a considerably warmer, more welcoming entrance hall.
A colour-through composite front door in a soft, characterful shade, replacing a draughty uPVC unit on an established family home. Warmer, quieter and considerably more secure.
An anthracite grey composite door specified for a contemporary refurbishment near Hungerford, smart brushed hardware, laminated glass and a crisp, considered finish to the front elevation.
A golden oak woodgrain composite door with three stacked square apertures and a colour-matched frame, fitted within the recessed porch of a red-brick family home in Innsworth. Obscured glazing keeps the hallway private while still drawing daylight in, and the chrome furniture and low aluminium threshold finish it neatly.
A Chartwell Green composite door with a full-height decorative Art Deco glazed panel, set in a crisp white frame on a rendered Cheltenham home. The leaded design brings character and daylight into the hallway, while two solid lower panels and polished chrome furniture keep the door robust and beautifully balanced.
An anthracite grey composite door with vertical grooved detailing and three square apertures, with a colour-matched frame and threshold, fitted beneath a timber canopy on a new-build home in Trowbridge. A brushed stainless letterplate and slimline handle complete a clean, contemporary frontage.
"A calm, considered process from survey through to installation. The new door has completely lifted the front of the house."
"Sympathetic advice at survey and immaculately installed. Exactly the door our cottage needed, and beautifully finished."
"The hallway feels transformed. Honest guidance on the glass and hardware, and the finish is exceptional."
"Meticulous survey and a very high standard of installation. We couldn't be more pleased with the finished result."
"You can feel the difference the moment you step inside. Cleanly installed and beautifully finished."
"Balanced, honest advice at survey and a lovely, tidy install. The finished result is stunning."
Arrange a complimentary home survey with one of our door specialists. We'll look at the doorway, discuss the split, glazing and threshold, and leave you with a fixed written quotation and no pressure at any stage.
Share a few details and a door specialist will be in touch within one working day. No pressure, no pushy sales.
Arrange a complimentary home survey at a time that suits you. We listen carefully, measure precisely and recommend the products best suited to your property.