Stable block, Letham Grange, Arbroath

Stable block, Letham Grange, Arbroath

Dating from around 1888, possibly designed by Alexander Ross, the former stables at Letham Grange is a single-storey and attic, neo-classical style stable block and coachhouse. The building is laid out in an E-shaped, courtyard-plan and is constructed in pale, ashlar sandstone with a slightly projecting band course and a moulded eaves course. The stable block stands southeast of the mansion house and sits next to the former walled garden on the Letham Grange estate, north of Arbroath.

The entrance elevation faces southeast, away from the main house, and comprises a central pedimented block flanked by rectangular-plan wings. The central block contains three arched openings with moulded columns—the middle arch is taller—and a circular window opening (oculi) above. Both pedimented wings feature an arched window opening breaking the eaves course and two rectangular window openings below. The rear northwest elevation has eight bays and a central pedimented gable with an arched window opening breaking the eaves course.

Window openings throughout are unglazed and some are boarded up. The replacement roof is predominantly piended with pitched sections at the rear. The wings are partially pitched and partially flat-roofed with stone balustrade detailing above the flat-roofed sections. Chimneystacks have been removed sometime after 1975. Metal rainwater goods run throughout the building.

No internal fixtures or fittings remain. The floors are concreted, much plaster is gone from the walls, and the flat-roofed sections are partially open to the elements. An estate road leads from the house around the western side of the stable block and down towards the former riding school to the south, roughly following the course of the Magungie Burn.

Historical development

In the 13th century the lands of Letham were granted by the Abbey of Arbroath to Hugo Heem. Ownership changed numerous times over the centuries, comprising several estates. In 1822 John Hay Esquire, former Provost of Arbroath, bought and consolidated Letham, Peebles and New Grange estates to form Letham Grange. Hay had a mansion built near the site of an earlier manor called Newgrange. The new mansion house, named Letham Grange, was designed by Archibald Simpson and built between 1827 and 1830. Hay died in 1869. Letham Grange was sold in 1876 to James Fletcher Esquire of Rosehaugh (1807–85). The house and estate remained in Fletcher family ownership until the mid-20th century.

James Fletcher hired architect John Rhind to extensively remodel the house and improve the estate between 1877 and 1885. Upon Fletcher's death, the estate passed to his son Fitzroy Charles Fletcher (1858–1902) and improvement works continued, including considerable extensions to the Home Farm, the addition of large heated greenhouses, and the construction of the stable block to the immediate west of the walled garden in around 1888. The stable is first shown on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1901 and replaced an earlier stable block located southwest of the walled garden (as shown on the 1st Edition map of 1859). The earlier stable became the estate dairy and is named Dairy Cottage on mid-20th century maps.

The late-19th century stable block was fitted with electric light in 1892, at the same time as the mansion, riding school, dairy and estate offices. Further upgrades in 1896 included the addition of enamel tiles to the internal walls, adamantine clinkers (small paving bricks) to the floor and the construction of new horse stalls in the east wing. The groom's accommodation, formerly in the east wing, was moved to the riding school nearby and could accommodate 10 grooms.

A fire in October 1960 destroyed the roof and attic level of the west wing. A photograph from 1975 shows the west wing as roofless with the west gable pediment gone. Both the west wing roof and the pedimented gable, including the arched window, were reinstated sometime after 1975. The rear elevation was originally built with rounded dormer windows, but these were removed sometime after 1975 when the roof was replaced.

Photographs from 1975 show the east wing with a pedimented gable perpendicular to that on the south elevation and three pedimented dormers breaking the roof eaves. These were removed sometime after 1975 and the east wing roof was replaced with a piended one, probably following the west wing fire. These photographs show a double garage opening with sliding timber doors in the south elevation of the east wing. This door opening was blocked up sometime after 1975 to form two window openings to match the openings in the west wing. It is likely the wings were designed to be symmetrical but were later reconfigured to accommodate a wider opening for cars and larger vehicles, as the central arched entrance, while tall enough for carriages, is quite narrow.

The last laird of Letham Grange died in 1957 and the house remained unoccupied until 1987 when Letham Grange opened as a country house hotel, which operated until the mid-2000s. The 'Old' golf course opened in 1987 followed by the 'Glen' golf course in 1991. Around this time parts of the estate grounds were sold off in lots and developed as housing. The stable block is now adjacent to private houses.