Former Nottingham Cooperative Society Stables

Former Nottingham Cooperative Society Stables

These stables, built in 1925 to designs by W V Betts, originally served the Nottingham Cooperative Society Dairy and Bakery. They stand on a river-side plot at the corner of Meadow Lane and Lady Bay Bridge.

The building was originally a continuous 19-bay rectangular range facing north-west, but was subsequently split into two detached rectangular-plan ranges where a former carriageway opening cut through the site. A small return wing extends to the rear at the southern end.

The structures are constructed of red brick laid in English bond with a blue brick plinth and reconstituted stone lintels. The rear elevation uses cheaper brick. Slate roofs are topped with brick stacks and copper ventilators.

Both main ranges are two storeys high, with bays articulated by plain brick pilasters, an offset plinth, and stepped brick eaves. The original fenestration followed a regular pattern with irregular openings to every fourth bay.

The north-east range comprises eight bays. Ground floor openings are wide with rough brick segmental arched heads and shaped blue brick sills, containing six-light timber casements. First floor windows are flat arched with reconstituted stone lintels and three-over-three timber casements, set high within the wall. The first bay contains a single round-arched window into the former meal room, while the fifth bay has a tall flat-arched ground floor window and a round-arched opening above. The northern gable, which angles acutely in line with Lady Bay Bridge road, has an irregular arrangement of two ground floor windows, a taking-in door, and a window above. The opposite gable end, formerly the internal wall of the carriageway arch, features rounded blue brick and a series of five brick piers that would have supported the floor above; the elevation above this is rendered. The rear south-east elevation is similarly composed but includes three doorways providing access; one doorway to the end bay (the former meal room) has been blocked. The pitched roof carries copper ventilators with conical caps set on shaped brick stacks or directly on the ridge.

The southern building has nine regular bays plus one double-width bay adjacent to the former carriageway arch. This wide bay opens on the ground floor of the street elevation and into the former archway, with a rebuilt brick pier at the corner and RSJs spanning the openings. The ground floor elevation is set back, with a canted corner containing double doors and leaded windows in segmental arched openings into offices. The remainder of the ground floor has paired two-light casements, while the first floor has pairs of three-light casements, which have been enlarged since original construction. The north-east end of the rear elevation has a doorway and leaded windows in segmental arched openings into the former office, and a loading door with winch above into another meal room. Ground floor openings show much reconfiguration, identifiable by concrete lintels and new brickwork. First floor three-light casements have been enlarged from their original design.

The narrow return wing, shown on proposed plans as having two loose boxes for sick horses and an entrance to a second horse ramp, has its openings infilled and partially reconfigured. It has a pitched roof with catslide from the main range roof.

Interior

The north-east building contains a series of rooms formed by brick cross walls with central doorways. Within the canted northernmost bay is a wide tiled fireplace to the former meal room, and there is a timber stair with a rough opening in the floor above, probably original. Stalls were originally located where windows are set high within the walls. Walls are plastered, possibly concealing original manger-level glazed brick, and floors are covered in screed. On the first floor, exposed brick walls retain a strip of glazed brick at manger height. Four stalls occupy either side of the third and fourth bays, with remains of stall partitions comprising cast iron posts with ball finials and matchboard panels within metal frames. Some stalls have ridged concrete floors. The roof is supported on the brick cross walls, with intermediate Howe trusses and single RSJ purlins. The first floor retains some brick flues to the ventilation system.

The south-west building has an office to its northern end with a chimneybreast (no chimneypieces) and leaded windows. Heated rooms above, shown on proposed plans as harness and meal rooms, lie in the adjacent bay. In the next section is a two-stage ramp for horses, with wide concrete inclines with ridged surface and holes, possibly to affix mats, and brick walls with curved corners. The remainder of the ground and first floors have been converted to commercial use, with plastered walls and suspended ceilings, some partitioning and reconfiguration. A stair within the southernmost bay possibly replaces a second horse ramp shown on proposed plans. Some boxed-in flues to the ventilation system survive.

The return wing, depicted on proposed plans as having two loose boxes for sick horses, has been similarly converted.