Stable, coach house, blacksmith's forge and adjoining wall

Stable, Coach House, Blacksmith's Forge and Adjoining Wall

An 18th-century stable, coach house and blacksmith's forge with an adjoining 19th-century wall, constructed in red brick with brick dressings and pantile roof covering. The stable and coach house are laid in Flemish stretcher bond whilst the blacksmith's forge is laid in English garden wall bond.

The building follows a long rectangular plan aligned along the road to the west and facing east towards the service courtyard. The stable occupies the north part and the coach house the south, with the tack room positioned between them and a hay loft running the full length of the building. At the south gable end sits a lower range containing the blacksmith's forge, with a small projection to the east housing the oven. Beyond the south gable end a wall runs eastwards and links up to the house.

The exterior displays irregular elevations and dentillated eaves. The main range consists of the stable and coach house, with the stable having a slightly raised roof. The south end features a brick coped gable with kneelers and a projecting chimney stack rising from the forge. The east elevation, from left to right, contains a blocked carriage opening with a flat brick arch and an inserted window with timber glazing bars that possibly dates to the 18th century, retaining some crown glass. This is followed by a wide segmental arch opening providing access to the hatch above and to three doors leading into the former coach house to the left, the tack room in front, and the stable to the right. The two-bay stable is lit by two small casements, probably of late 19th-century date, set under segmental brick arches. The north gable end has a timber batten door at loft level. On the west elevation the stable is blind, after which there is an 18th-century top-opening six-pane window with crown glass, followed by a gabled dormer across the eaves and a 20th-century casement.

The lower range attached to the south end has a coped gable with kneelers. Its east elevation contains a blocked window opening on the left followed by a small extension under a catslide roof with a quarter-cylindrical oven projection in the return angle. The north side of this small extension incorporates some rubble stone. The forge is entered through a wide opening with a timber lintel on the south side. The west elevation has a late 19th-century wall post box.

On the south gable end stands a plank and batten door adjoining a rebuilt boundary wall. Immediately after the door, a buttressed 19th-century brick wall with flat stone coping runs at right angles to link up to the house. Towards the east end it ramps steeply upwards and has a plank and batten door under a segmental brick arch, surmounted by a stone urn.

The interior retains many original fixtures and fittings, including plank and batten doors with wrought iron door furniture. The stable is divided into two stalls by an oak pegged partition. It has fitted brick mangers on the east wall and a brick-covered floor sloping downwards to a central covered drain. Affixed to the stable door are the shoes of William Ransom's winning horses, with labels bearing their names and the races they won. The tack room features early 20th-century full-height vertical plank panelling with incorporated saddle and wrought iron tack holders. The hayloft above, accessed through a folding trapdoor, has an oak principal rafter roof with Queen struts, a ridge piece and collars.

The adjoining element to the south contains the blacksmith's forge, an open hearth with a canopied brick chimney flue supported by a timber bressumer. The rear wall of the hearth and the baking oven to the right are constructed of rubble stone. The oven retains its wrought iron door and domed lining constructed of close-fitting bricks beautifully laid in an oval pattern. The floor is covered with flag stones and incorporates a millstone near the hearth. The interior brickwork has been repaired and the common rafter roof dates to the 20th century, except for one of the purlins.