Former Coach House And Stables To Wheatfield House

The former coach house and stables to Wheatfield House, dating from around 1855 and now part of hospice premises, is a two-storey building with a basement. It features coursed squared hammer-dressed gritstone and ashlar, topped with a slate roof. The main south-facing facade has four asymmetrical bays and is characterized by rusticated quoins.

On the left side, there is a blocked carriage arch framed in a Gibbs surround, which includes a carved horse's head on the keyblock. This arch is flanked by Tuscan columns that support a broken scrolled pediment with a pulvinated frieze above the eaves. The centre of the facade has two windows set in a corniced and round-arched architrave; the upper parts of these windows are blocked, and the lower frames have been replaced. To the right, there is a slightly projecting gabled bay with inserted windows and deep bracketed eaves. At the ridge, a wooden cupola with Ionic columns supports a dome topped with a wind-vane.

An ashlar band runs at cornice level, and bands of rock-facaded rustication are present on the lower sections of the other facades. The rear of the building, facing Alma Road, has six windows and an inserted doorway to the right, which is topped by a blind rusticated arch under a gable. The fenestration matches that of the front, but the semicircular traceried overlights remain. There are also inserted 20th-century dormers in the roof.

On the right return, there are five windows and a gable at the far right. Steps lead down to a basement entrance, which is screened by a retaining wall with a ball finial. There are also inserted doorways to the ground and upper floors. The interior has not been inspected in detail, but fittings were removed when the building was converted to a kitchen and freezer store, and it was not in use at the time of the survey.