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Major refurbishment for Steephurst

A major £1.5 million refurbishment of Steephurst is underway. The next phase will see the much loved homely interior benefiting from an imaginative makeover to create new sunlit havens and communal spaces for the girls and house staff residents of the boarding house.

Started last year, the project is being spread over three summer vacations to ensure minimal disruption, and includes new bathrooms, lighting, upgraded windows, improvement to the internal layout, decoration and plumbing and heating systems. Designer Nicola Harding (OB) has been consulted on the interiors of these rooms, following her involvement last year in the successful transformation of the Steephurst bathrooms.

Phase two this summer will see a change to the external appearance of the building following an extensive consultation. The lead-light windows will be replaced with un-treated oak windows hand-made locally in sympathy with Steephurst’s architectural style. The original black window frames and sills will be retained, and the new windows will be safer, more efficient, require less up-keep and will admit more natural light inside the building.

Chairman of the Governors’ Buildings Committee and Old Bedalian (OB) Matthew Rice has been heavily involved with refurbishment plans for Steephurst along with Housemistress Jenni Brittain and other members of the building committee.

Commenting on the refurbishment, Matthew Rice said: “Massive care has been taken to ensure Steephurst retains the beauty of the building but also fulfils its purpose to provide a warm, safe and cosy environment for boarders and staff. We have worked very hard to assess all the options for the windows, and select the solution that, we believe, strikes the right balance of retaining the arts and crafts look but with more efficient heat-retaining glass. It was important that we selected natural and un-treated oak, in keeping with our environment, which will gradually silver with age.”

Steephurst student representative Rebecca Wilson (6.1) says: “We were initially worried that changes for health and safety reasons would impact on the homely and traditional feel of Steephurst. However we understand that the school is progressive and change is a part of our culture and, most importantly, we understand that although the building will change, the spirit of Steephurst will stay the same. Steephurst is an iconic building at Bedales and was one of the first buildings on the school site so how it looks from the outside is very important. The original building did not have the lead-light windows so in a way it will be reverting back to its original form.  One of the new windows has been installed in the sixth form kitchen next to an existing lead-light window. The new window lets in more light and you can view the outside much better. The frames have been kept black and are not too modern looking so it looks good from the outside as well. Inside walls have been taken down and more space has been created; it is a bit like a Mary Poppins bag as, now it has been opened out, you can see how big it is and I think we are getting a lot more out of the space. The spirit of Steephurst is about the way we are with each other, our friendships and interactions, rather than having this kind of sofa and that kind of window. We can make it homely however the building changes and we are excited to see how it will have improved next term.”

Rebecca discovered a quote from John Badley that she and the students believes best sums up why the Steephurst refurbishment is a positive move for the School:

“The acorn I planted has grown into an oak and the oak can stand now in its own strength and grow its own roots. Growth is the essence of life and change is the essence of growth, and changes in its appearance will do the oak no harm – they will be good for it provided the roots are sound.” (John Badley)

Rebecca also discovered a quote from an OB in Bedales School: the first hundred years that she read out in assembly in relation to the Steephurst refurbishment: “It (Bedales) does have a certain atmosphere that I don’t think has changed.......although the buildings change and the people change, the attitude seems to stay the same.” OB Richard Holder (at Bedales from 1968 – 1975).

The lead-light windows will not go to waste as Peter Coates and his team of outdoor work students will re-use the panes for the Pineapple house project, which will house the growth of tropical fruits.

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