Former Stables, Carriage House And Other Outbuildings To West And South West Of Stable Block At Moggerhanger House

Former stables, carriage house and outbuildings to west and south-west of stable block at Moggerhanger House

These former stables, carriage house and outbuildings were constructed in 1806 and 1810-12, with later alterations, and were designed by Sir John Soane for Stephen Thornton.

The buildings are constructed of red brick and paler red-brown brick with slate roofs.

The former carriage house, dating from 1810-12 and altered in the 20th century, lies to the west of the principal Stable Block and is linked to it by a brick wall with an archway. It is a single storey building of 3 bays, retaining remnants of original coach-house doors, though the central section was rebuilt with metal frame windows.

To the south-west of the stable yard stands the earlier stable and coach-house range from 1806, also single-storey. The stable to the left (east) has two original doors and two high windows with fine gauged brick lintels, followed by an altered door. Adjoining to the right is a late 19th-century lower link building with a 4-light casement and a door with flanking single casements, positioned where the original dung heap had been. Beyond this are adjoining former stables with five original stable doors now filled with brick and 4 large cross casement windows. The original jambs with their hinges remain clearly visible. The final window to the right contains a 20th-century glazed door. The upper parts of all these windows are horizontal sliding sashes which may well be original.

Set at right angles to the 1806 range is a former engine house dating from 1810-12, featuring a single doorway to the left and a two-light casement to the right. The engine house retains remnants of a horse engine and drive mechanism, which presumably drove chopping and other machinery in the stables.

Godfrey Thornton, Governor of the Bank of England, died in 1805. Sir John Soane, who was surveyor to the Bank of England and undertook its rebuilding from 1788, had already carried out the first remodelling at Moggerhanger Park in 1791-92. The outbuildings were designed by Soane and built in two phases, 1806 and 1810-12, as part of the comprehensive remodelling of the house for Godfrey's son Stephen, undertaken at a total cost of £21,000.