Late Gothic Style Oak Carved Bed for Converted Chapel

Chalvington Oak Range

A unique late Gothic style oak carved bed, custom designed and handmade in England, for the converted chapel in our clients wonderful country manor house. We employed various design devices dating from the 15th century and first half of the 16th century, as well as architectural features from our clients manor house. The headboard was deliberately designed to be 'see through'. Scroll down to see more about all this:

In the photos above and below, you will see carved griffins seated on their haunches, on the top of the foot posts. They face outward, with a slightly minacious presence, and are there to 'guard' the occupants, in a purely 'physical' sense. On the headboard posts, angels are stood looking slightly inwards and over the occupants. In contrast to the fearsome griffins, they are of a comforting, peaceful, disposition, thus providing 'ethereal' protection.

The 16th Century Style Griffins

Below: One of the two 'menacing' griffins. See how the claws wrap over its perch (the griffin and top part of the moulding were carved as one piece) and how the tail sweeps round the right side of its body (opposite on the other griffin). The inspiration for these came from Trinity College, Cambridge, which was founded in 1546 by Henry V111. Note that the carvers chisel marks are still clearly visible.

Bed Foot Posts Hand Carved in Tudor Style

Below: The two griffins sit atop early 16th century style carved and moulded octagonal posts. The design for these are based on a surviving component (possibly from a bed or screen), in the Victoria and Albert Museum Medieval Collection. The top half, with an ornamented lozenge pattern, framing rosettes, over a diamond pattern carved lower section.

Below: Another view of the foot posts, showing the (purposely slightly random) diamond carving and the swept stops that convert the square posts into an octagonal cross section. The Greek Cavetto (hollow) and Bow Tell (3/4 round) moulding, forming the top rail of the foot board, is a common feature on the top of ancient church pews, in varying degrees of complexity.

Trefoil Head Oak Panelled Footboard

Below: A detail view of the foot board panelling. Note that the cover panels are made up of individual pieces and the grain of the oak is tilted diagonally, so the grain runs in the same direction as the arc. Incidentally, the colour on this bed is our Chalvington range 'Warm Chestnut'.

Open Tracery Oak Headboard

Below: Because the altar (not believed to be original) remains in the chapel and our client wanted it to stay visible, we made the headboard to resemble a rood screen (the screen that divides the nave from the chancel, in ecclesiastical buildings). Thus the open tracery, as shown below. As this bed is bespoke, it can be made with solid panels in the headboard, replacing the open tracery.

Below: Another view of the open tracery headboard. The trefoil shaped heads mirror the 14th and 15th century windows, in this historic building.

Below: A close up view of the trefoil tracery heads below. As with the foot board, the thin section cover panels run diagonally and are individually fitted and fixed with oak pegs, Note also, that the tracery head and supporting pillars are also hollow chamfered on the back, as they are visible from behind.

The 15th Century Style Carved Oak Angels

Below: Two detail views of one of the carved oak angels, who look over the occupants of the bed, from the headboard end. These are close copies of one in the V&A Museum Collection, that originally came from a dismantled 15th century nave roof at St James, Louth, in Lincs.

You may have noticed, that this bed appears to be unusually wide. In fact it was designed to take our clients custom made 7ft wide mattress! For a more standard super king, you would lose one panel in the headboard and footboard, making seven each. For a king size mattress, there would be six panels each. Please see price options below.

Gothic Style Bed in Converted Chapel of Country Home

To see this amazing bed in our clients equally amazing home, click:
Gothic style carved oak bed in 14th century manor house
Gothic style handmade bespoke carved oak bed in C14th home
Unique carved oak bed in converted chapel of manor house

Gothic Style Bed Detail Views

For more close up detail photos, click:
16th century style hand carved oak griffin
Gothic style oak bed fixing bolt detail
16th century style carved oak bed foot post
Open oak tracery on Gothic bed headboard
Carved oak angel 15th century style
Gothic oak bed foot board detail
Gothic style oak bed period moulding detail