Harraton Court Stables and attached Trainer's House

Harraton Court Stables with attached Trainer's House were built in 1883 for the 3rd Earl of Durham (George Lambton) as a training and stud establishment.

The stables are built of buff-coloured brick with red-brick detailing and a slate roof. Original timber doors and window frames survive throughout, except in the first-floor flats of the east range and parts of the Trainer's House in the south range, where these have been replaced with uPVC.

The stable courtyard forms an open quadrangle with stable ranges around three sides. The fourth side, facing west, is open and provides access from Chapel Street. The Trainer's House extends the east range to the south-west.

The East Range

The three ranges around the stable courtyard create a cohesive architectural ensemble, though each differs in character. The eastern range is the most architecturally elaborate and would have impressed visitors approaching from Chapel Street. This seven-bay, two-storey range is dominated by a central clock tower of Italianate style. The tower sits above the coach entrance—an archway originally leading into an enclosed yard, now greatly reduced in size and subdivided for new dwellings. The arch features rusticated red-brick detailing which mirrors that in the central bays of the south and north ranges.

The clock tower is square in plan, three storeys high, with a pedimented pyramidal slate roof topped with a decorative cast-iron roof crest and a weather vane in the form of a horse and jockey. At first floor is a tripartite window; each window has a cambered red-brick arch above and is separated from the next by brick piers. Dentilled and moulded banding separates the first floor from the second floor, which rises well above the adjoining roof height. Here a round-headed, slatted ventilation grille with red-brick detailing similar to window openings elsewhere sits central to the front elevation. Buff-coloured brick pilasters with moulded banding in both red and buff bricks adorn all four faces of the tower, creating stepped corners, each surmounted by a ball finial. On three sides is a clock face positioned within the parapet, above the moulded banding; that facing into the stable yard is surmounted by a spike finial.

The front elevation of this range has notable symmetry, with three door openings either side of the coach entrance on the ground floor and four window openings either side of the tower on the first floor. The plank-and-batten doors have hatches at head height for the horses, except in the south-eastern corner where a double-leaf door is split vertically. On the first floor, the second and third windows on each side of the central tower are half dormers with moulded brickwork adding decorative detailing to the dormer gables. Smaller windows on this level were inserted in the 21st century following renovation of the flats within this domestic range. All first-floor windows have been replaced with uPVC. At roof level there is a brick ridge stack at each end and a timber ventilator between each stack and the central tower. These have carved decorative detailing, bracketed eaves and slate caps. Running across the full width of the elevation at first-floor level is a slate-roofed canopy attached by ornate cast-iron brackets, with a similarly detailed cast-iron grille within a central tympanum.

The rear of the range is architecturally simple with scattered fenestration, some of which, particularly on the first floor, was inserted in the 21st century, presumably when the first-floor flats were renovated. A former large arched opening, presumably a cart entrance, at the northern end of the range has been blocked and a smaller stable-type door inserted. Six-over-two sash windows on the ground floor and half dormers on the first appear to mark original openings, but it is unclear if other windows have used former window openings. Two flights of 21st-century metal steps provide access to the flats.

The Trainer's House

Integral to this range but not visible from the stable yard is the Trainer's House. This is joined at the southern end of the range, behind the southern range of the stable courtyard. The three-bay, two-storey house faces south-west towards the Clunch Barn. The central timber door with round-headed fanlight above is flanked by windows either side. These are aligned with two smaller windows to the first floor, all of which have been replaced in uPVC. The ground-floor windows each have cambered brick arches, and a third brick arch above the door implies alteration to this opening, with the door possibly replacing what was formerly a window. A brick ridge stack sits at either end of the slate roof, and to the rear of the house is a single-storey, flat-roofed, brick extension of 21st-century construction.

The South Range

The south range is again two storeys with six bays either side of a central, slightly protruding gabled bay. Red-brick bands at sill height, door height and midway across the upper floor add contrasting detail to the buff-coloured brick construction. The contrast is replicated in the rusticated quoins, plinth and the cambered arch above each door opening and that defining each circular (oculus) window at first-floor level. Dentilled banding separates the two floors.

The central gabled bay is characterised by red-brick banded rustication on the ground floor. Above, buff-coloured brick is highlighted by dentilled banding separating the two floors, around the eaves of the gable and at roof level. The central bay is symmetrical with a central door flanked by windows on both floors. On the ground floor, a wide plank-and-batten door with a semi-circular fanlight above is flanked by multi-paned, round-headed sash windows with buff-coloured keystones and rusticated red-brick arches. On the first floor, a central plank-and-batten taking-in door with a dentilled segmental pediment is flanked by oculus windows with red-brick arches and moulded buff-coloured eared architraves. Within the pediment is an inscription which reads '18 E.M. 82', a commemoration of the marriage in that year of the Earl of Durham (1855–1928) to Ethel Milner.

The ground floor of the southern range accommodates stables in six bays either side of the central gabled bay. All retain original plank-and-batten stable doors with two-light rectangular fanlights above and brass door furniture. Two multi-paned sash windows are located in bays three and four to the left of the central bay.

The hayloft is characterised by five taking-in doors, two either side of the central bay. Each sits within a gabled dormer flanked by oculus windows adding light to the first floor, each with red-brick arches and moulded buff-coloured eared architraves. The plank-and-batten doors are retained in all but the easternmost example, which has been replaced in uPVC and a balcony railing added to the exterior in the early 21st century. This is the result of internal alterations to extend the Trainer's House into one end of the hayloft. To the rear of the south range, the ground level drops considerably, so the range sits on a rough, brick-built plinth approximately 1.2 metres high. A metal ventilation grille with a segmental brick arch above marks the position of each stable across the range. At first floor, small ventilation openings provide air to the hayloft, although to the eastern end of the range three circular windows have been inserted. Where the stable range meets the Trainer's House, vestiges of a lean-to building are evident, quite possibly marking the site of a glasshouse which is shown in this position on the 1902 Ordnance Survey map.

The North Range

The northern range of the stable yard is single storey with six stable bays either side of a central, slightly protruding gabled bay. The range is again built of buff-coloured brick with similar contrasting red-brick banding at sill height and door height. The cambered arches above all the stable doors are also in red brick, as is the plinth, rusticated quoins and the surround of a blind oculus window in the gable of the central bay. The two-part original plank-and-batten stable doors survive throughout with rectangular fanlights above and original door furniture including brass handles and long strap hinges. Architecturally, the central bay is treated much the same as that on the south range, with a plank-and-batten door with a round-headed fanlight above and a single round-headed, multi-paned sash window to the left. Rusticated red brickwork to roof height again characterises the central bay, with dentilled and moulded buff-coloured detailing framing the triangular gable. Central to the gable is a blind oculus and central to that a moulded plaster ram's head, the family emblem of Lord Durham. Attached below is a lantern held on a cast-metal bracket. Both the ram's head and lantern are 21st-century copies of the originals. In the eastern corner of the northern range is a low and narrow entrance leading to a rear food store. The restricted access was to ensure the safe keeping of foodstuffs in the room beyond.

Interior

All the stables in the north and east ranges and the majority of those in the south range are single loose boxes opening directly into the yard. These are tiled to within approximately one metre of the ceiling with rectangular glazed cream-coloured ceramic tiles and moulded red-brown ceramic tile bordering. The boxes have hoop-iron strapping and horizontal concrete floors overlain with brick paving, and in many cases the ceramic mangers are retained. Ventilation of the loose-box stables was ensured by four separate elements: a hit-and-miss brass ventilator fixed to the outside wall; a fanlight over the door which pivots inwards; a ventilator in the rear wall over the horse's head, with sloping boarded casing to prevent downward draught; and a trunk ventilator running along the ridge of the roof. All but the trunk ventilator survive in the majority of the loose boxes and continue to function in much the same way as originally intended. Historic photographs show ventilation chimneys at regular intervals along the roofline of the three ranges, but these have now been removed. The photographs also show that the south and east ranges had decorative timber ridge ventilators with carved detailing, bracketed eaves and slate caps. These survive on the east range but not on the south.

The central bay of the southern range is an exception. Here the central door leads into a double 'crib stable' designed to house pregnant mares in foal. The cage boxes, with sliding wooden doors incorporating metal grilles and panelled timber partitions, are separated from the yard by a short corridor. The corridor provided a space between the boxes and the yard to reduce noise and provide a more relaxed environment for the mares. Presumably it also allowed people attending the horses to move more freely, and two large sash windows to the front provided additional natural light and air if needed. Other additional features here are two open shafts in the ceiling of the corridor which led directly to the hayloft above. Hay, straw and food could be lowered directly into this stable. The ventilation system on the rear wall is identical to those within the loose boxes.

The ground floor of the southern range also accommodates a tack room, lit by two multi-paned sash windows. An original brick fire surround and fixtures and fittings such as hooks to hang tack are retained. Adjacent to this room is a straight stair to the hayloft and 'Colour Room'. The racing 'Colour Room', left of the stair, has a domestic feel. It is lined in timber plank panelling with ceiling and wall hooks for the storage of tack and timber hanging racks for the drying and storing of racing colours. A late-19th-century fire surround including a register grate of similar date would have provided heating for the purposes of drying the equipment.

To the right of the stair is an open hayloft extending the remaining length of the southern range, subdivided only partially by a dividing wall aligned with the central bay. Attached to this wall is an iron drive shaft which would have been used as part of a pulley system to lift hay, straw and foodstuffs into the loft. Either side of the central taking-in door are two small open shafts which drop into the crib or cage stable below. A door leading to the eastern end of the hayloft has now been sealed and the area beyond incorporated into the Trainer's House. This was part of 21st-century alterations and restoration of the eastern range.

The eastern range has a clear domestic feel to it, with stable employees' accommodation in two flats on the first floor and the Trainer's House attached to the southern end. These areas have undergone modernisation in the 21st century, and although some original fireplaces have been retained, most of the internal fixtures and fittings are of 21st-century date. The interiors of one flat and the Trainer's House were not inspected. On the ground floor, to the right of the carriage entrance, is an office which as well as dealing with administrative tasks would have played a part in monitoring the comings and goings within the stable yard. A small glazed hatch looking into the carriage entrance would have controlled this entrance, whilst a six-over-two sash window provides a view of the rear yard and the stable door into the yard. A late-19th-century fire surround and grate is retained in the office, positioned across the rear corner. Adjacent to the office is a loose-box stable and left again a utility room; this room was not inspected.