Combe Court

View up inside the lantern tower showing the structural carpentry. The building won a Gold Waverley Design Award in 2004. (Photography: Duncan McNichol)

Comber Court is a mid-sized country estate near Chiddingfold, formed of a series of Victorian era and earlier buildings. The house was badly damaged by fire in the 1970’s and partly demolished. Subsequently A new wing was built under the direction of Stedman Blower and Roderick Gradige Architects. Later in 2002 the Court was extended again to form a new master bedroom and tower with Stedman Blower revisiting the project as Architects. The Green Oak Carpentry Company were commissioned to design and build the bedroom trusses, bridge and oak framed lantern of the new tower. (Photography: Duncan McNichol)

The Lantern has a substantial cantilevered eave forming shelter to an ambulatory above the master bedroom. (Photography: Duncan McNichol)

This fabrication drawing shows the main structure of the lantern with gothic style arcaded opening to the octagon, pentagonal main posts, and cantilevered eave.

This view is taken from the lantern ambulatory to the inside of the tower. (Photography: Duncan McNichol)

This is another fabrication drawing showing the arrangement of floor beam known as a Serlian Floor, and is based on the work of the Renaissance Architect Sebastiano Serlio among others. It is in effect a reciprocal structure with each of the principle floor beams jointed into its partner, allowing larger spans to be achieved than the timber length available. The shorter secondary beams impose an octagon onto the square arrangement of Serlian beams.

Lanterns are wonderful ways to bring light into an interior. (Photography: Duncan McNichol)

Our last drawing sows the arrangement of rafters fanning out from the central boss of the roof structure. You can see the pentagonal columns clearly in this image supporting the eight ‘principle rafters’ to form the cantilevered eave.

The ambulatory forms a wonderful viewing platform to admire the surrounding countryside. Attention to detail on the part of the architects is exceptional, and The Green Oak Carpentry Company wish to acknowledge the encouragement and support of Damien Blower, who in true ‘Arts and Crafts’ style, allowed us as craftsmen our place in the design process. This philosophy is integral to the Arts and Crafts Movement of whom Ruskin and Morris were the main proponents. (Photography: Duncan McNichol)

The bridge was also designed and installed by us. Access is gained from the master bedroom via a winding stone stair onto the bridge, a step over the parapet brings the insomniac onto the ambulatory to take the night air! (Photography: Duncan McNichol)