Stableyard, Crom Castle, Crom, Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh, BT92 8AP

Large stableyard complex built between 1833 and 1835 for John Crichton, third Earl of Erne, to designs by the architect Edward Blore. A second yard, known as the Forge Yard or Laundry Yard, was added between 1835 and 1837 and incorporates a butler's cottage, corner cottage and laundry. The complex is one of many dispersed buildings within the Crom Estate in County Fermanagh. Despite internal refurbishments, it retains much of its original character with fine stone detailing. The extent of listing covers the stableyard and its gates.

The complex comprises two separate inner yards — an upper (northern) yard and a lower (southern) yard — aligned northeast to southwest, and set to the south of the riding school. All roofs are pitched natural slate with advanced eaves carrying half-round cast-iron rainwater goods. Gables have stone skews with cusped finials. Walls throughout are of coursed stone with dressed sandstone openings. Unless otherwise noted, all windows are centre-pivoted.

Northeast elevation The northeast elevation has a two-storey projecting gable bay at each end, with a central single-storey three-bay block between them. The roof of the single-storey bay is concealed behind a parapet and carries three stone chimneys, all square in section with moulded caps, set to the middle of each end bay; the chimney to the left is a paired stack. At the centre of this block is a Tudor-arched opening with finial, containing a pair of timber gates. To either side of this opening are two two-stage buttresses, between each of which is an elongated arrow-loop opening — all plainly glazed — with a small rectangular recess at the apex. Each end gable has two windows of three-over-four panes at ground floor and a single central three-over-three window at first floor.

Southeast elevation The southeast elevation is abutted at its southwest end by a single-storey block enclosing the lower yard; the exposed section of the elevation is blank. Three pairs of chimneys serve this elevation. Reading from left to right: a pair of timber quarter-side-hung casements; a narrow timber-sheeted door with a five-over-three transom light above; a three-over-four window; and four further windows — all with finely dressed sandstone reveals. At first floor: a four-over-three window; a three-over-three window; a nine-over-nine sliding sash stairwell window with horns; two three-over-three windows; and, at the right end, smaller three-over-three windows. The single-storey block at the southwest end has two brick chimneys at its right end and a one-over-three side-hung casement window at each end.

Southwest elevation The southwest elevation has a dwelling at each end, flanking the entrance to the lower yard, between which is a decorative pair of wrought-iron gates into the lower stableyard.

The left-hand dwelling is a single-storey, three-bay house with a central brick chimney. At its centre is a timber lattice porch with a pitched roof, decorative timber bargeboards and a finial, containing a timber-sheeted door. The left and right bays each have a group of three one-over-three casement windows with stone cills. The right end of this façade is abutted by a square-section stone gate pier with a stone cap; a matching gate pier abuts the adjacent building. The rear elevation has two pairs of one-over-three casements with brick arches over. The right gable is blank.

The right-hand dwelling is two storeys and three bays, with a brick chimney to each gable and decorative timber bargeboards with finial. Its façade has a central porch of the same design as the left dwelling; the entrance door has a transom light above. To the left and right are groups of three one-over-three side-hung casement windows with brick heads and stone keyblocks. Above at first floor are three windows, each a pair of one-over-three casements. The right gable is abutted by the southwest face of the single-storey block enclosing the southeast side of the lower yard; the exposed section of that face is blank, except for a single one-over-three window. The left gable of the main block has a one-over-three casement window at first floor left. The rear elevation has three windows at ground floor: to the left are pairs of one-over-three casements with segmental brick arches over, with an infilled opening set between them; the leftmost opening is set within a large segmental-headed surround. At first floor there is one window to the left and three infilled openings to the right.

Northwest elevation The northwest elevation is abutted at its southwest end by the single-storey block enclosing the lower yard; the exposed section is blank. This block has a single chimney roughly to centre and three modern skylights. Reading from left to right at ground floor: two four-over-four centre-pivoted windows; a timber-sheeted door with a four-over-four transom light, accessed by stone steps with modern cast-iron railings; two further windows; and a semi-elliptical-headed carriage arch now fitted with modern doors. At first floor: four windows diminished in height — two three-over-three windows to the left aligned above those below; a three-over-three sliding sash window aligned above the rightmost ground-floor window; and another sliding sash above the carriage arch.

The single-storey block forming the northwest side of the lower yard has four plainly detailed chimneys — one at each end and two set closely together towards the centre — and a timber louvred vent between the first two chimneys from the left. Reading from left to right: two windows; a timber-sheeted door with one-over-three sidelights; two further windows — all are pairs of one-over-three timber side-hung casements; an infilled opening; a window; another infilled opening; a window; a timber-sheeted door; and three windows, all as before but diminished in height.

The inner yards Both yards are gravelled; the upper yard also has cobbled edges. The upper yard is accessed through the Tudor-arched opening in the northeast elevation. Its interior northeast elevation is symmetrical with a central gable; to either side are three windows — two three-over-four pivoted windows at each end and a tripartite window with one-over-four sidelights flanking the central opening. The soffit and walls of the arched opening are plastered and painted and the ground beneath is cobbled. The interior southeast elevation has a five-over-four window to the left and three timber-sheeted doors each with a five-over-two transom light; above at first floor are five three-over-three windows. The interior southwest elevation belongs to a two-storey block with a central chimney; at each end is a door (as before) and at the centre are two large glazed timber sliding doors into garages, with six three-over-three windows above at first floor. The interior northwest elevation has two pairs of timber-sheeted doors with five-over-two transom lights at the left end, a four-over-four window, a door with mouth-organ transom light, and a further window; above at first floor are five equally spaced three-over-three windows, diminished in height.

The lower yard is enclosed to the southwest by the rear elevations of the two dwellings described above. The southeast block has a recessed bay at its extreme left end, the roof of which is supported by three square-section timber posts. The exposed northeast cheek of this block has a door. The recessed wall is cement-rendered with a central window and a door at the right end. The remainder of this southeast block reads, from left to right: a two-over-two fixed window; an infilled opening; two pairs of windows; a large pair of timber-sheeted doors; three pairs of windows; and two further windows — all are one-over-three timber casements. The northeast block has a timber-sheeted door to the left and an infilled segmental-headed carriage arch to the right; above at first floor are a three-over-three window and a pair of one-over-three casements respectively. The northwest block has two pairs of windows at the left end, a further pair roughly to centre, and a tongue-and-groove-sheeted door.

Historical notes The Stable Yard was the earlier of the two elements in this complex, erected in 1833–35 by the third Earl of Erne to Blore's designs, and is identifiable as the square block of buildings with a central courtyard shown on the first-edition Ordnance Survey six-inch map of 1834. The Forge Yard was added between 1835 and 1837 and is shown on the second-edition map of 1857. In the 1930s, some of the stables and lofts were converted to living accommodation for estate staff. The wrought-iron gates in the Forge Yard also date from this decade, having been rescued from Lanesborough Lodge.