Honouring Jacobean Proportions in Great Tew
Our clients acquired an exceptional Grade II* listed manor house in Great Tew, Oxfordshire. The requirement was to transform an underutilized double-height salon into a comprehensive private library, reading sanctuary, and executive home study accommodating over 3,000 volumes.
Given the historic designation of the property, structural fastening into the 17th-century rubble stone walls was strictly regulated by the local conservation planning authority. The entire 8.4-metre library framework had to be self-supporting, scribed precisely to irregular historic stone profiles, and fully reversible.
Craftsmanship Details & Engineering
Secret Jib Door Bookcase
A seamless flush bookcase disguised within the eastern wall elevation conceals a secret access door to the manor's private temperature-controlled wine room. Engineered on heavy-duty concealed German pivot hinges capable of swinging 180kg of book-laden oak smoothly with one finger.
Rolling Oak Ladder & Bronze Rail
Accessing upper shelving required a custom rolling ladder handcrafted from matching quartersawn oak. Mounted on a bespoke hand-cast solid bronze rail with rubber-cushioned solid brass wheels, enabling whisper-quiet traverse along the entire 8.4m room perimeter.
Integrated Museum-Grade LED
Warm 2700K high-CRI (95+) micro-LED extrusions were concealed behind architectural shelf pelmets, providing glare-free illumination across book spines without visible wiring or heat transference to delicate antique bindings.
Architectural Project Specifications
| Location | Great Tew, Oxfordshire (Private Residence) |
|---|---|
| Timber Species | Prime British Quartersawn English Oak (FSC® Certified) |
| Room Dimensions | 8.4m wall span × 3.8m ceiling height |
| Surface Finish | Traditional Ammonia Fumed Oak finished with Hand-Rubbed Polyx Matte Hardwax Oil |
| Architectural Hardware | Hand-Cast British Bronze Rails & Joseph Giles Ironmongery |
| Workshop Lead Time | 8 Weeks Bench Craft + 5 Days On-Site White-Glove Installation |
| Heritage Compliance | Approved by West Oxfordshire District Council Conservation Officers |
"The library created by Cotswold Woodcraft is a masterwork. In an historic house with uneven stone walls, their precision scribing makes the joinery appear as if it grew naturally from the building's architecture over centuries."
— Julian Vance-Moreau, RIBA Chartered Architect
