The Stable Block

The Stable block, dating from the mid to late 17th century, has been altered in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with a slate roof, brick and stone ridge stacks. Originally an F-shaped plan, it is now L-shaped, surrounding two sides of a stable courtyard with a longer range facing east. A round-arched doorway provides access to a through passage at the right end of the east-facing range; other entrances are panelled doors with Tudor-arched heads, some featuring hood moulds. The ground floor has three-light stone mullion and transom windows, some with hood moulds, while the first floor mostly has three-light stone mullioned windows. Rear elevations feature more irregular windows, largely casement windows with wooden lintels. A short wing, likely dating from the late 18th or early 19th century, projects to the rear of the courtyard-facing range to the south, containing a staircase and a small square open cupola to the ridge, topped with a domed lead roof, incorporating a bell. Stone-coped gables include kneelers. A single-storey link of probably 19th-century origin connects the stable block to the Estate Office. An estate map from 1760 indicates that a range previously extended behind the Estate Office and was joined to the Laundry to create a formal composition opposite the west range of Castle Ashby.