Stables

Stables at Dodington Park

Built between 1796 and 1816, designed by James Wyatt. This Grade I listed building is constructed in limestone ashlar and rubble with slate roofs.

The stables comprise four ranges arranged around a square courtyard paved with setts and featuring radial drainage channels. The ranges are linked by curved single-storey rubble blocks. The whole composition follows Classical principles.

The west front is dominated by a central two-storey block projecting forward. Its most striking feature is a high central round-headed arch with ramped gates at either side. Blind windows with cills flank the arch at ground floor level. A band course runs around the outer wings and inside the archway, forming imposts for the arch. At first-floor level, a six-pane sash window sits to each side of the arch. Above rises a pediment surmounted by a clock tower with clocks facing east and west, rectangular openings with bell louvres to north and south, a cornice, and a domed leaded roof topped with a weathervane. To each side extends a lower single-storey wing of three bays, each containing three blind windows with cills and a hipped roof, all set on a plinth.

To the right stands a two-storey block featuring a three-sided bay. At ground floor, a central six-panelled door is accompanied by a sash window to the left. The first floor has a sash to the left and a large central multi-pane lunette. A small twentieth-century window has been inserted at ground-floor level on the left. A band course runs below the cill of the first-floor windows, with a cornice and blocking course above.

The south elevation contains two single-storey connecting blocks in rubble with a blind window to the left and two garage openings to the right, one now blocked. A central two-storey block features a central six-panelled door with overlight and blind windows to each side (the right-hand example having two panes in its upper part). The first floor has a central blind window and six-pane sash windows to each side. This block is finished in rendered rubble with stone quoins, and has a plinth, band course, cornice and blocking course.

The north elevation shows a central two-storey block with hipped roof, flanked by lower two-storey blocks to each side and curved connecting wings at the outer corners. An attached lower block to the north incorporates two single-storey lean-tos and is backed by a curved retaining wall for the mucking-out area. All walls here are rubble with stone dressings. The central block has a door with overlight and blind windows to each side (the right-hand example with two panes in the upper part), with two six-pane sashes at first floor. The lower side blocks have varied windows and loading doors. The retaining wall includes a segmental-headed opening.

Within the courtyard, the central block of the west range displays round-headed arches with tall segmental-headed doors to each side and two six-pane sashes at first floor, topped by a band course, cornice, pediment and clock tower. The single-storey wings flanking it each contain a three-bay arcade of round-headed recesses, each with a glazed lunette in the head and six panes to the central part. The recesses have varied doors, with the two outer recesses in the left block and the right recess in the right block remaining blind. A cornice runs below the hipped roofs.

The north and south ranges are identical to each other. Each has a central square block with hipped roof, two tall round-headed carriage entries and doors, a band course and two six-pane sashes at first floor, with a cornice and blocking course. To each side extends a lower two-bay wing with two round-headed recesses featuring lunettes of the same design as those on the west range; all recesses are blind below the lunettes except for one north door in the south range. All corners except the south-west are linked by curved wings with doors. The south-west corner features a recessed two-storey block that forms the angle of the courtyard.

The east range comprises a central block of two storeys with three windows. At ground floor, an arcade of three round-headed arches opens through to the rear, where three round-headed recessed bays each have lunettes. The central bay originally contained a door (now a fixed light with six panes), while the two outer bays have twentieth-century doors. The first floor has a band course beneath three six-pane sashes and is crowned by a pediment. Single-storey wings extend to each side, comprising three bays, all with round-headed blind recesses and lunettes.

The interior of the southern part of the east range retains six early nineteenth-century loose-boxes with hay racks.