Oare House

Oare House is a large house built in 1740, with later additions in the mid-19th century and between 1921 and 1925 by architect Clough Williams-Ellis. It was originally constructed for Henry Deacon, a wine merchant from London. The house features red and blue vitrified brick with a concealed roof and consists of a central block that is two rooms deep, linked to forward wings. A large drawing room was added to the south around 1840, which was remodeled in 1921 and extended at the rear to create a library in 1925. The north wing was also extended in 1921 and later.

The entrance elevation has five bays, with the three central bays projecting forward and featuring a pediment and a central eight-panelled door within an Ionic portico. There is a brick cornice above the ground floor and first-floor windows, which have triangular and flat pediments. The other windows are later 18th-century twelve-pane sashes, with six-pane sashes on the second floor. The raised parapet has a dentilled pediment and urn finials, and rainwater hoppers are marked with "HD 1740." A timber cupola with a bell is also present. The flanking wings consist of two bays each, featuring a Venetian window motif on the ground floor and low-pitched gables with stacks.

The garden elevation mirrors the entrance but is simpler, with five bays and a central door in a Roman Doric portico over steps, lacking a pediment. This block has been extended on both sides, with the right side likely refaced in 1921 to match the new left side. The 18th-century brick used here was reclaimed from Upper Huish and features three closely spaced round-headed windows, with 32-pane sashes on the first floor, some of which are blind. There are balustered openings in the parapet leading to a flat roof, and this facade has been extended on both sides as a garden wall.

Inside, the house was remodeled in the 20th century, featuring a cross hall with a cedar staircase in an 18th-century style, possibly with original resited turned balusters. There is fielded panelling and a chair rail, along with a marble fireplace. The saloon at the rear and a small sitting room are both panelled and have marble fireplaces. The drawing room features a mid-19th-century marble fireplace, and the library, added in 1925, has columns in antis. The 1920s work was commissioned by Sir Geoffrey and Lady Alathea Fry, who served as private secretary to Bonar Law and Stanley Baldwin. Clough Williams-Ellis also designed the gardens. Notably, the war cabinet met secretly in the house during the Second World War.