Stables Approximately 200 Metres To South West Of Harewood House

Stables approximately 200 metres to the south-west of Harewood House

This stable block, now converted to serve as a restaurant, shop and study centre, was built between 1755 and 1758 by John Carr for Edwin Lascelles of Gawthorp Hall, based on a design by Carr dated 1748. Carr's father, Robert Carr, served as Clerk of Works on the project.

The building is constructed in ashlar with a Westmorland green-slate roof. It is a square quadrangular structure with an internal colonnade, designed in the Palladian style with two storeys. Each of the four facades measures 11 by 11 bays and is arranged symmetrically, with ashlar quoins and a plinth and first-floor band which forms an impost band in the outer bays.

The north and east facades are the most architecturally refined. The north facade is articulated as 1, 3, 3, 3, 1 bays, with the central three bays breaking forward and treated with giant engaged Tuscan columns distyle in antis, each bearing two rusticated bands. An archivolt-arched entrance features a rusticated keystone and impost bands, surmounted by a triangular pediment broken by a taller central bay set forward with rusticated flanking panels and a central blind plaque. Finials crown the pediment angles. The outer bays break forward with rusticated quoins and archivolt-arched recesses with rusticated keystones; the ground floor contains a blind window with a partly glazed arch. A cornice and shaped parapet with corner finials complete this elevation, though the apex finial is missing. Bays 2, 3, 4 and 8, 9, 10 have blind window recesses with square six-pane fixed lights above. Hipped roofs with ridge stacks serve the east, west and south ranges.

The rear and return elevations follow similar fenestration patterns with corner projecting bays and central projecting three bays under a triangular pediment with finials. The eastern wing, which is visible from the house, receives more decorative treatment. Its central three bays break forward with a central projecting bay having rusticated quoins. At first-floor level, a lunette features rusticated voussoirs and keystone, with a pedimented gable whose quoins carry up into the tympanum, surmounted by a finial.

The tall north entrance leads through to an inner courtyard. Within the re-entrant angles, doorways with rusticated keystones open into spaces that are flat-ceiled with moulded cornices. The inner courtyard comprises ranges of 7 by 7 bays, except the north entrance range which extends to 9 bays. This entrance range has a central projecting bay with rusticated quoins, an arched entrance with keystone and impost band, and triangular pediments. Bays 3 and 7 echo this treatment with similar arched recesses; other bays contain 24-pane sash windows with raised surrounds and two-light flat-faced mullioned windows with recessed mullions above. The remaining three ranges each have a central projecting bay with rusticated quoins, a Diocletian window, and a triangular pediment, with colonnades of coupled Tuscan columns on all three sides.

The attribution of these stables was historically disputed. Whittaker attributed them to Sir William Chambers, and Pevsner similarly credited Chambers with the design as his first independent work around 1755–6. It is documented that Lascelles commissioned a design for the proposed house and stables from Chambers in 1755, and Chambers's design still survives, illustrated in Harris's monograph. However, Chambers's heavily rusticated and over-elaborate design was never executed. Mauchline and Linstrum both credit John Carr with the stables, pointing to the existence of an engraving titled "A perspective view of the stables at Gawthorp. Built by Edwin Lascelles Esq 1748," signed by J. Carr and engraved from a drawing by William Lindley, Carr's pupil, now held at Wakefield Art Gallery. This evidence settles the long-confused attribution. Mauchline provides convincing evidence that construction did not begin until 3 April 1755.

The stables were significant as a preliminary exercise for Lascelles undertaken four years before the construction of Harewood House. They allowed him to evaluate the work of Carr and the master masons of the Muschamp family, the head joiner James Sanderson, and the leadwork craftsman Mr. Rhodes, who were all estate workers. Satisfied with their performance, Lascelles engaged all of them in the construction of Harewood House itself.