History

Mid-late C19 stables complex of 3 parallel ranges comprising stables and tackroom, coach house and cowhouse, pigsties and outbuildings, stores and generator shed, along with and ornate clock tower over one entrance. The complex was built to cater for the needs of the adjacent gentry house at Haulfre, built for the family of Major Chadwick, wealthy industrialist from Lancashire. In the latter part of the C19 and early C20 the grounds to the house were extensive and a large retinue of staff would tend the gardens and grounds, care for the livestock as well as for the riding and carriage horses and the carts and carriages house in the complex. The clock tower is thought to have been erected as a wedding present for one of the sons of the family in the early C20.
When the last of the Chadwick died in the 1960s Haulfre was bequeathed to the Council, with the provision that the house become a home and with provision for the maintenance of the clock tower. The stables are now open to the public, along with the adjacent gardens which have been steadily restocked; the stables and tack room have been restored, part of the range converted into accommodation and other parts of the range converted for use as workshops and stores.

Exterior

Stables complex of 3 parallel ranges aligned roughly W-E. The northernmost range is closest to the house and would have housed the riding and carriage horses; the main range has advanced wings to S to form a wide U-shaped plan enclosing the N yard. The coach house is in the W of the 2 advanced wings, next to the main entrance to the yard, under the clock tower; a lesser entrance opposite, at the E end of the yard. Built at the NW corner of the range is a generator shed which would provide power for the house and stables. Parallel to the base of the wide U is the central range, which opens into the S yard and lies parallel to the 3rd range which includes pigsties at the E end; opposing gateways, E and W, match the lesser (E) entrance to the N yard.
Probably built of local rubble, roughcast rendered elevations throughout. Hipped slate roof, gabled half dormers with shaped barge boards and gable finials; there is a louvred cupola along the NE stable range, a tall shouldered stack to the tackroom in the NE corner and a further stack along the rear (N) roof of the central range. Doors and loft openings are boarded and the windows are large 25 or 36 pane lights with slate sills.
The N range houses the restored stables, with tack room in the NW corner; coach house in the W advanced wing and converted stables, now accommodation, in the E wing. The entrance to the N range is under a segmental arch to W, doorways lead to stables (to R) and tack room (to L) and a ladder under the archway (to L) gives access to the loft. To R (E) of the arch is another doorway with loft access over and flanking 25-pane lights. The advanced wing at the E end of the range has a modern doorway to L and modern 6-pane casement to R; loft access between the 2. To the rear of this wing are a further 3 modern casements and skylights set into the roof. The W wing houses the 2-bay coach house with wide basket headed arched openings with keystones; doorways with boarded doors with upper panels glazed, massive ornate cast iron hinges bearing the name of the makers: MUSGROVE & CO LIMITED BELFAST LONDON PARIS.
To L of the coach house the principal entrance to the N yard has an arched opening, also with stressed keystone, over which the roofline is raised as a pyramidal roof on corbelled eaves and surmounted by a clock tower; each side of which contains a clock face, with clasping pilasters at each corner. Above the clock there is corbelled coving to a railed platform, a timber bellcote above with tall pyramidal spire. The eaves line of the flanking roofs is continued across the W and E faces of the tower as a stressed sill band to an arcade of 3 arched recesses with stressed capping to each pier and keystone to each arch. The roof above has small trefoiled gablets in each face. At the opposite end of the yard are square gate piers with stepped capping; to the R is a drain which used to be a urinal for the stable lads, formerly with slate slab walls. Also in the yard is a stepped mounting block decorated with a fox and horseshoe motifs.
The S yard has similar, opposing, gate piers as the lesser (E) entrance to the N yard. The central range is a 9-bay range aligned w-d-w-w-d-d-w-w-w, the doorway and 3 windows at the R (E) end at a higher level. The doors are boarded under 3-pane fanlights, the windows 36-pane lights and there are 3 half dormers along the range. The rear wall has ventilation grilles along the range, a boarded low doorway at the E end.
The 3rd (S) range is a plainer lower range, openings arranged d-w-d-w-w-d and with double doors at the far right (W) end. To the L of this range are pigsties of varying widths. The rear wall is built of rubble but the facing wall with arched openings of rendered brick and dividing walls of similar construction. The facing panels doorways and chutes are of ornate cast iron, also by Musgrove and Co Ltd; the feed chutes operated by a handle at the top of the panel which would tilt the chute to give access for feeding.
The three parallel ranges are aligned across a slope, with the approach to the yards running S-N upslope along their outer W walls. To the left of the arch of the principal entrance to the N yard, along the outer (W) wall of the N range and W wing, there are 2 large 36-pane lights to the tack room in the NW corner, and a further light and boarded door under a 3-pane fanlight to the generator room to L (N). To the R of the arch is a 30 pane light in the gable apex of the central range; ventilation grilles below. There are 2 x 16 pane lights in the W wall of the S range and a small hipped roof outshut built at the SW corner.

Interior

The N range houses the restored stables, with tackroom in the NW corner. The stables have accommodation for 6 horses along the rear wall; each horse has his name painted on a metal plaque above the iron manger and hay rack. The lower walls are panelled under a hexagonal tiled freize with decorative border. Each stable divided by timber panelling set within a cast iron framework; raised as a grille above and terminated by a circular newel with rounded finial. Metal drains are set within a floor of small tiles; the feeding passage laid in a herringbone pattern.
The tack room has timber panelling throughout with moulding coving, and tall glazed cupboards along 3 of the walls. There is a simple marble fire surround along the S wall, with plain shield decoration; the cast iron and tiled grate formerly in the adjacent lodge. In front of the fireplace is a panelled block or table. The floor is laid with diagonally set red and black quarry tiles. This room was also known as the 'ambulance room' as the local ambulance was formerly housed at the stables and casualities would be brought here for medical attention.

Reasons for Listing

The stables are listed for their interest as an unusually complete and well-detailed group of buildings which exemplify a planned service complex to an estate of the mid-late C19. The hierarchy of architectural detailing clearly reflects the hierarchy of use within the complex and many original details have been retained, both externally and internally.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29503632

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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