West Range Of Former Stables At Oakfield, Chester Zoo

The west range of the former stables at Oakfield, Chester Zoo, was built in 1886, likely designed by E.A. Ould for B. Chaffers Roberts, and has undergone mid-20th century alterations. This building features orange brick with Ruabon brick and buff sandstone dressings, topped with a red tile roof. It has a west front that is one and two stories high and consists of five bays. The center of the facade includes a driftway with a semi-circular archway and a datestone, flanked by plaques depicting horse heads. To the left, there is a buttress, and to the right, a circular stair turret with a hexagonal spired roof, which leads to the former groom's accommodation. Above the driftway is a Romanesque arcade, and the turret has a hipped roof with a lead ball finial. The left end bay features crow-stepped detailing, while the rest of the structure has brick-mullioned windows. Notably, there are lion's claw marks at the base of the stair turret, a reminder that the stables were converted in the 1930s to house the original animal collection of the Mottershead family. The building is listed for its group value context.