Carriage House And Stable Blocks At Combe House

The carriage house and stable blocks at Combe House consist of two ranges of stables, a carriage house, a wall, and gate piers, forming the stable block at Combe House, with the east stable block repurposed for housing. The buildings date from around 1815 and were constructed for the Reverend Thomas Putt, who inherited the estate in 1812 and died in 1832. They replaced earlier stabling located southwest of Combe House.

The construction uses flint rubble with red brick dressings, while the front elevation of the carriage house features large blocks of dressed flint laid in courses. The roofs are slate, with the stable roofs being hipped at the ends.

The plan forms a "U" shape, with three ranges enclosing a courtyard. The carriage house faces south to the north, and is flanked by matching stable ranges to the east and west, with a wall and gateway completing the courtyard. An archway through the centre of the carriage house provides access to the service yard behind Combe House.

The carriage house is a single-storey building with an impressive, symmetrical five-bay south front with gables. A central gable features carved armorial bearings within an oval stone frame with elaborate mantling. There are two round-headed archways with two-leaf plank doors and large strap hinges to the left and right of the central archway. The rear elevation of the carriage house is also gabled, but features brick dressings around the round-headed archway and the frame of the oculus in the gable, which retains some original spoke glazing. The front elevations of the stable ranges are also gabled, with alternating doors and tall round-headed window recesses on the ground floor. Above are loft loading doors in the central gable, and loft windows set within rectangular recesses. The east stable range, used for housing, lacks a central gable. A flint rubble wall completes the courtyard’s south side, with square section gate piers featuring moulded cornices; one gate pier retains an original ball finial.

The inspected stable in the east range retains a herringbone brick floor and original loose box partitions with cast iron standards crowned with iron acorn finials.

The stable yard is a fine example of an early 19th-century design, contributing to the group value of Combe House and its associated buildings.