Stables To South Of Downs Farmhouse

The stables, located to the south of Downs Farmhouse, date from the 18th century and have had some alterations in the 20th century. They were built for the Lestrange estate and are constructed from chalk lump with brick dressings and decoration, sitting on a brick and carstone plinth. The roof is covered with pantiles. The building has a linear plan divided into four sections that are not linked internally.

The front (south) elevation retains three of the original stable doors, although the most westerly door has been altered to include 20th-century double doors. The two central stables feature windows beside the doorways. The rear elevation has later carstone lean-tos. The west gable includes a pitching hole above a ventilation slit, both of which are now blocked.

Inside, the stables have a double butt-purlin roof with morticed collars, and harness pegs are still present in the east end stable. Historically, these stables are part of a U-shaped group that includes the farmhouse and barn, along with livestock sheds and a granary, creating an unusually complete example of an 18th-century arable farmstead. All these structures are depicted on a farm plan from 1819.