Description

1791-94, John Baxter with later alterations. 2-storey, 11-bay by 15-bay square-plan Tudor gothic courtyard stable block. Droved ashlar with polished ashlar dressings, E elevation; rubble side elevations and inner (court) elevations with ashlar dressings. Base course, corner pilasters. Ornamental corbels at eaves. Pointed arches to most openings.

E ELEVATION: string course straddling windows (acting as hoodmould); advanced bay to centre with corner pilasters; 2-storey entrance to court with windows at ground and to 1st floor (blinded). Openings at ground of flanking 3-bay groups, windows at 1st floor of each bay, now altered to outer right of right group, where square-headed window. 2 2-storey openings to outer advanced 2-bay groups (with corner pilasters) with 2-leaf boarded doors to outer right group, now partially blinded to outer left and with square-headed windows at ground; window at 1st floor between bays and with windows flanking each in outer left group.

N ELEVATION: advanced 2-bay groups to outer with openings at ground (blinded openings in 2-bay group to left; lit to 2-bay group to right with boarding to arches) with hoodmoulds and square windows with hoodmoulds at 1st floor. 9 bays between 2-bay groups each with blinded and hoodmoulded openings, except 8th bay (of elevation) where a 2-storey entrance to inner court. Blinded openings to 1st floor, except square window in 3rd bay and boarded in 9th and 10th bays.

W ELEVATION: outer 2-bay groups advanced. Openings to outer bays of elevation with upper pointed section blinded (left group) boarded (right group), square windows at 1st floor above (with hoodmould in outer left bay). Opening to inner bay of left 2-bay group now with flush-panelled 2-leaf door with 4-pane rectangular fanlight and square hoodmoulded window at 1st floor above. Hoodmoulded opening to inner left of 2-bay group to right with square-headed window and boarded upper arched section; square-headed window at 1st floor above. Boarded door between 2 bays of this outer right group with 4-pane rectangular fanlight above. Openings at ground floor of intermediate 9-bay group (excluding outer 3 bays), blinded to outer left, with 2-leaf boarded door and 4-pane fanlight to 2nd bay of group and lit to remaining bays with upper arched section blinded. Openings at 1st floor above each bay except square-headed and hoodmoulded windows in 4th and 5th bays of group. Timber full-height addition projecting from 7th and 8th bays of intermediate group. Boarded door to extreme right of intermediate group with blinded opening at 1st floor above.

S ELEVATION: advanced outer 2-bay groups, 8-bay intermediate group. Blinded windows at ground of outer left 2-bay group, square-headed windows at 1st floor above (blinded to left bay). Square-headed window at ground of bay to left with tripartite window at 1st floor above. Buttress at ground floor between 2 bays. Blinded window now half exposed (wall projecting to S); square-headed window at 1st floor above. Openings to each bay of 8-bay group, except in 5th bay where Tudor arched entrance to inner court, with bipartite window at 1st floor above. 1st, 2nd and 4th bays with windows at ground floor with upper arched section blinded with ashlar. Tripartite window at 1st floor of 1st and 4th bays. Bipartite windows at 1st floor of 2nd, 3rd and 8th bays. Single square-headed windows in 6th and 7th bays. Vent with ashlar surround between 7th and 8th bays.

INNER COURTYARD: irregularly disposition of bays and type of opening. Conical-roofed bowed bays to re-entrant angle to NW and NE. 3 segmental-arched cart openings to SW. Openings breaking through to 1st floor with boarded 2-leaf doors flanking entrance to W range. Segmental-arched pediment with carved heraldic shield in bay right of entrance to E range.

Variety of timber sash and case- 4-, 6-, 9- and 12-pane. Iron bars at windows of outer 2-bay groups of S elevation. Pointed-arch openings to N elevation with Gothick tracery. Slate roof with a variety of stacks ashlar and rendered.

INTERIOR: not seen fully, 1995. Some stalls still in situ to stables.

Statement of Interest

The stable block has been partially converted recently to domestic use at the 1st floor.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17851529

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
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  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
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  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
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  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)