Stables, The Down House

The stables at The Down House were built in 1823 by Thomas Rickman for George Dowdeswell. This stable block features a rendered brick exterior that is lined to resemble ashlar in the center, with English garden wall bond brickwork on the wings and rear, which are painted on the garden-facing side. The building has a slate roof and is arranged in a 'U' shape, consisting of a two-storey, three-bay central section with four-window wings, where the left wing is lofted and the right wing is single-storey.

The facade facing the garden is symmetrical, featuring a central carriage opening flanked by plinths and unfluted Doric pilasters at the opening and at the corners of the block. A sash window is located between the pilasters. Above this is a plain frieze and cornice that also serves as the head for the carriage opening, topped by a low, plain parapet that rises in the center with a moulded cornice on either side and a semi-circular-headed center. At the rear, there is a circular cupola supported by eight plain Doric columns with a cornice, topped with a lead dome and an iron weathervane. The roof is hipped.

The wings on either side are set back and lower, each with a plain plinth, a sash window, a rubbed brick arch, a flat soffit to the eaves, a hipped roof, and a chimney on the ridge against the central block. The right return features four dummy windows with rubbed brick arches, while the left return is similar but has one sash window. The central carriageway has painted brickwork, with doors that pivot at the bottom and have top pin hinges, with stone hinge blocks on each side. Cambered brick arches are present on pilasters on either side, leading to double boarded doors to the upper floors, with cambered brick arches above. At the rear, there are openings on each side leading to porches, with a cambered brick arch to the courtyard.

Internally, the right wing contains five looseboxes with boarded walls and iron grilles in the upper part of the partitions, along with a plastered ceiling featuring a moulded cornice. The left wing has two rooms, two looseboxes, and tying for two, with a loft above, originally designed to have a ceiling similar to the right wing. The roof structure includes king-post trusses, iron bolts, one pair of purlins, and a plank ridge. The stables are designed in the Greek Revival style and were created in conjunction with the main house.