Stable Block On North Side Of Yard At Manchester Road Canal Wharf

The stable block on the north side of the yard at Manchester Road canal wharf, built around 1870-1880 for the Leeds-Liverpool Canal Company, is now used as a store. Constructed from red brick in English bond, it features hipped slate roofs on two levels with red ridge tiles. The building has a linear plan consisting of a single-depth main range with axial side wings. The two-storey main range has three windows, while the single-storey wings have two and three windows respectively. All sections have saw-toothed eaves bands and segmental-headed openings. The main range includes a doorway offset to the left of center with a shallow overlight, and above it, a loading doorway with a raised stone sill and a gablet, which has a hoist-jib. There is one window on each floor to the left and right, and at the right end, a window and a doorway at ground level, the latter featuring a recessed four-pane overlight. A ridge chimney is offset to the right. The left wing has a doorway flanked by widely spaced windows, while the right wing has garage doors inserted between the windows, likely replacing a smaller doorway, and another doorway at the right end with a two-pane overlight. Most openings were boarded or damaged at the time of inspection in 1991. The interior was not accessible during the survey but is known to contain many original features, including ramped stall partitions with cast-iron columnar kicking posts and iron hay racks. This building is a rebuild of earlier stables and is part of an important group at the wharf, which includes the Wharfmaster's House and Toll Office, as well as three warehouses. It is included for its group value.