Five Oaks

Five Oaks is a house dating from 1913, with a small extension added around 1935, designed by Humphrey Gimson for Basil Gimson and built by Geoffrey Lupton. It is constructed of red brick in English bond, with a plain tile roof. The architectural style is Neo 17th century vernacular/Arts and Crafts. The plan features a false lobby entry with a prominent stack directly above the front door, but the house is centrally planned with rooms radiating from the stair hall.

The north (entrance) elevation is one and a half stories, with three bays and a central gabled porch. It features small paned casement windows along with a small window to the left of the door and a stair window to the right. There are three gabled dormers with casements, and the roof is half-hipped. A small 1935 addition is visible to the left. All windows are oak framed, and the gutters are supported by wrought iron brackets.

The south (garden) elevation includes a two-story cross wing to the right. The ground floor has two large windows with three-light, small-paned casements, a small loggia, and an entrance door. There are three dormers above and a two-light casement to the gable. External doors are of heavy studded oak.

The interior is complete and unaltered, retaining its original character. Electric light was introduced in 1935, replacing gas. The house was built to a high specification, featuring wide oak floorboards fixed with copper nails in the principal rooms, brick and quarry tile paving, oak stairs, window seats, built-in cupboards, and doors. Door furniture is of wrought iron, made by a local blacksmith. The only addition to the fittings is an Edward Barnsley dresser in the dining room, dating from 1935. All fireplaces are original, as is the loft ladder.

Five Oaks was built for the architect’s brother, who was second master at Bedales. It is one of a group of Lupton houses associated with the school and the Arts and Crafts movement, as well as the Gimson and Barnsley families. It represents an almost completely unaltered example of a small house with a very high standard of design and finish, illustrating the aims and limitations of the Arts and Crafts movement. Architects' drawings are held within the house, and a set of 1913 photographs demonstrates the house’s unaltered state.