Service Buildings Attached To South West Of Caerhays Castle

Service Buildings at Caerhays Castle

These service buildings, including stables, coach houses, dairies, offices and a servants' hall, are attached to the south-west of Caerhays Castle. They were built in 1808 by the architect John Nash for J.B. Trevanion.

The buildings are constructed of stone rubble with stone dressings and have slate roofs with lead rolls to the ridges. They are arranged around two courtyards. The inner courtyard is the smaller of the two, with the servants' hall positioned to the north. A range of dairies and offices extends from north-west to south-east, with a gateway through the centre set within a 2-storey block with a bellcote. The larger outer courtyard is surrounded by stables and coach houses in the north and south ranges. To the south-west, the large courtyard is enclosed by a wall with a gateway, and a further range containing offices and accommodation extends in this direction.

The entrance gateway to the large courtyard features a round arch with an embattled parapet. To the right is the courtyard wall, and to the left is the 2-storey block with a hipped slate roof with lead rolls to hips and ridge. This block has 2-light casements with segmental arches at first-floor level and single-light casements at ground and first-floor levels to the left. A circular plan tower is attached to the left with a finial at the apex of its conical roof and a lancet at mid-level. This tower connects to a gateway in the garden wall. A small dog-kennel is attached to the wall near the main gateway on the inner side of the courtyard.

Inside the large courtyard, the single-storey range of stables along the north side has double and single plank doors with segmental arches, and slate roofs with ridge tiles and gable ends. A glass roof on cast-iron posts covers the stable entrances. The southern range of coach houses has a hipped slate roof with lead rolls, two wide plank double doors and a single half-glazed door at the right end.

The central range dividing the two courtyards is 2-storey with a taller gabled 2-storey centrepiece. At first-floor level this has a clock and two 3-centred arched lattice-glazed lancets. On the roof sits a lead ogee bellcote on wooden posts with a bell. At first floor to right and left are three 2-light casements with triangular heads, and an embattled parapet. A central rounded-arched gateway has a stone-dressed arch. Attached to the left is a small single-storey block with a hipped slate roof, two similar 2-light casements to the front and a plank stable-type door with triangular overlight on the right side. At the left end is a large gateway with a segmental arch, and at the right end are two lancets and a plank door with segmental arch at ground floor. This range forms a nearly symmetrical front.

In the small inner courtyard, the rear of the central range has a central segmental stone rubble arch with a clock over it and a blind gable above. To the right is a plank door with a 2-light casement at first-floor level. To the left are two doors, one with sidelights, a 2-light 6-pane casement and a window with shutters, all with segmental arches; at first-floor level a 2-light 6-pane casement. To the south is a short single-storey range connecting the service buildings to the main house, with a plank door and a 4-light casement.

To the north is the servants' hall. On the inner side of the courtyard it has three 2-light casements at ground floor and two 2-light casements at first floor, with a twentieth-century porch set in the angle to the main house. On the outer side the servants' hall forms an ornamental feature of the entrance front, with buttresses and embattled parapet. It has a large 3-light mullion and transom window with 4-centred arch and hood mould, with lattice glazing and tracery. To the right is the outer side of the stable range, with a 4-panelled door with overlight.

The interiors are not accessible for inspection.