Stable Court At Four Ashes Hall

SO 78 NE 1576- /7/10004

ENVILLE FOUR ASHES Stable Court at Four Ashes Hall

GV II*

Stable Court, incorporating extensive farm outbuilding ranges. Mid to late C18, with C20 alterations. Red brick rising from a shallow ashlar plinth with gauged brick detailing and ashlar dressings, moulded eaves and parapet cornice,coped gables and plain tile and welsh slate roof coverings. Courtyard plan, with stable front intended as the architectural focus within the same vista as Four Ashes Hall (q.v.).South-east elevation;2 storeys,11 bays; the central part of7 bays, with advanced 2-bay ends with hipped roofs behind shallow parapets. Roof structure to left end partially collapsed. Central entry bay, with wide semi-circular arched entry to flanking stables and central harness room via recessed doorway. Gauged brickwork to arch, with ashlar impost band and keyblock. Above cornice band, a shallow gabled front to crossroof which carries an octagonal lantern with lead-covered dome and semi-circular headed lights. Flanking the entrance are 3-bay blind arcades, with semi-circular windows with intersecting glazing bars to arch heads serving stables. Above are rectangular windows with intersecting bars below gauged brick wedge lintels. Advanced ends with 2 ground floor arches and 2 first floor windows to hipped ends. Inner cheek walls with 2 first floor windows above inserted C20 garage doors. North-east range with blocked tall segmental-arched double doorway to left end. To the right are 4 lower arched cart doorways with boarded doors, and a taller arched doorway giving access to the courtyard entry passage. Further right are 2 tiers of circular openwork brick vents,3 vents per tier, and a third tall doorway serving a threshing bay with boarded doors and a threshold. Further 2 tiers of vents, and gable at right end with 2 tiers of vents and apex pierced by diamond vents. North-west wall with tiered vents and one double doorway. South-west elevation with access way into courtyard, single storey range to left, 2 storey range to right. Similar detail to courtyard inner walls, together with arcaded single storey hovel to south-west side and to part of north-east range. Interiors include unaltered stalls to stable range, boarded doors and thresholds to threshing bay, and asymmetrical roof trusses to roof with single purlin and double purlin construction on opposed slopes with queen posts, collar and tie beams and diagonal braces all of substantial scantling. An ambitious and well -executed design to create an integrated range of outbuildings incorporating stabling and firm building functions.

Listing NGR: SO7990387719