Stables, Riding School And Entrance Archway To Corsham Court Stables, Riding School And South Entrance Arch

The stables, riding school, and entrance archway at Corsham Court are two ranges flanking the main drive, traditionally referred to as stables and riding school. They are believed to date from the late 16th century but are more likely from the late 17th century, with the monumental gatepiers and archway constructed around 1700 to 1720. The two ranges are similar in design, with the west range featuring nine windows and the east range five windows. They are built of rubble stone with hipped stone-tiled roofs, standing two stories high with coved eaves cornices and recessed chamfered two-light mullion-and-transom windows.

The north sides, which face the house, were enhanced by John Nash between 1797 and 1798, adding buttresses between each bay, a dripcourse over the ground floor windows (which may be original), and coped gablets with finials. The east range has a central door in a flush moulded surround, and both ranges feature a similar door in the end wall facing the drive. The south sides are simpler, with the west range having seven windows and the east range four windows, both with hoodmoulds over the lower windows and doors in tall surrounds with over lights, likely from the early 19th century. The west range is two stories internally, while the east range is open to the roof.

Coped rubble stone walls enclose a yard on each side, with these walls apparently rebuilt or regularised in the 20th century. The central entrance arch is made of ashlar in a Baroque style, flanked by two massive ashlar piers that encase the angles of the adjoining range and are linked at eaves level by a small carved scroll. The arch features four alternating large and small bolection-moulded panels, moulded cornices with pulvinated friezes, and massive ball-finials with acanthus cupping. Raised gatestops with moulded capitals and acanthus finials are positioned above the shoulder of the central archway. The archway itself is rusticated, with a large central arch flanked by pedestrian arched gateways. The central rusticated piers have moulded imposts and short piers above that support an open segmental pediment. The side arches include keystones, rusticated walling above, plain bands at the impost level of the main arch, and large carved scrolls above that connect to the upper piers of the main arch. The entrance is completed with spearhead iron gates.