Bedales School, Hampshire

Ernest Gimson’s Memorial Library and Lupton Hall are among the finest products of the Arts and Crafts movement, and are of international significance in combining furniture and architecture in an indissoluble mix. Conceived as part of a unbuilt quadrangle, the hall was used as an assembly space, but had fallen into disuse as the school expanded.

The magnificent cruck frame, austere brick walls, quarry tile floors, and circular windows are clearly visible in the early photographs, but had been obscured by later additions. Externally, vital repairs to the rainwater goods, leaded windows, and historic brick were carried out, including a new roof for the seminar room extension. The whole of the interior was carefully cleaned and redecorated, with sensitive repairs to the wide oak boards of the stage, quarry tiled floor, and Gimson designed pews.

Our work has revealed the spirit of the original design, with carefully considered contemporary interventions to bring it back into use as a music venue. The hall now has a beneficial and sustainable future at the heart of the school.

We recently completed The Studies building, a new drama, study, and sixth form common space for the school by restoring the 1960s arts & design building. This building was upgraded with new oak cladding, copper seam roof, aluminium framed double-glazed windows, new interior and layout with services integrated.

Our last restoration for the school has been the careful repair of the Covered way, tudor-style oak trussed structure adjoining Lupton Hall. This was completely restored with traditional tudor tiles, oak gutters and brick floor.