Northern Block, Stables, Preston Hall

Northern Block, Stables, Preston Hall

Robert Mitchell designed this neo-classical stable and office block in 1795. It is a two-storey, nine-bay building arranged on a quadrangular plan, featuring a central pedimented entrance pend with regular links to pavilions of two and a half storeys. The principal elevation employs dressed ashlar with a projecting base, band course and eaves course, together with a cornice. The courtyard and lesser elevations are constructed in coursed and random sandstone rubble. A low ashlar parapet conceals the main roofline.

The principal (western) elevation presents a central arched entrance pend flanked by advanced paired Tuscan columns on squared bases, supporting an architraved triangular pediment with plain tympanum. The pend is fitted with a pair of wrought-iron swept top gates with arrowhead dogbars and doorways to adjacent blocks accessible from its interior. Two-storey three-bay linking blocks flank the central arch, with eaves course and low parapet. The outer pavilions, rising two and a half storeys, feature high arched recesses containing pilastered tripartite windows to the ground floor (with outer lights blind) and semi-circular windows above. The pavilion cornices mirror the main building's parapet, with a further storey above containing rectangular louvred openings.

The northern elevation displays a slightly projecting pavilion to the right with a small bipartite window to the ground floor and a ventilation louvre to the attic. A ground floor window adjoins to the left in the main block, with a door and window aligned to the first floor further left, and an additional window to the right.

The eastern (rear) elevation features a slightly advanced central pavilion with a segmental-arched access pend and two-leaf timber gates, with a former hayloft and dovecote above. To the left, the main block has bipartite and single windows to the first floor. A lean-to piggery extends across the left and centre of this elevation, fitted with paired access doors and an entrance door to the right return, adjoining a pheasantry wall to the left return. A slightly altered wall forms an enclosed pigpen with paired gatepiers. To the right of the entrance, the main block contains two windows to the first floor and a single window to the ground floor aligned with the right window. A former single-storey L-plan kennels adjoins the ground floor right, with entrances to the south. The ashlar walls (meeting the main block) feature three wrought-iron entrance gates and high railings forming dog runs. The eastern face shows a blind wall with an off-centre right entrance door, while the northern face has a single window with a two-pane Carron light to the roof. The rear re-entrant angle is concealed by vegetation.

The southern elevation shows a slightly projecting tower to the left with a small bipartite window to the ground floor and ventilation louvre to the attic stage. The centre of the elevation has been altered to provide modern accommodation with an adjoining lean-to glass house.

The courtyard elevations are formed by four two-storey blocks meeting to create an enclosed re-surfaced courtyard. The western courtyard elevation has a high arched central pend with single windows to the ground floor flanks and a smaller aligned window to the first floor positioned close to the eaves. Two-leaf timber doors occupy a later squared cart arch to the left, while a blind wall extends to the right of the entrance.

The northern and southern courtyard elevations each display two-storey five-bay arrangements with doors to the outer and central bays of the ground floors, each fitted with two-leaf timber panelled doors and three-pane fanlights above, with windows to bays two and four. To the first floor, a central former hayloft has a boarded timber door with two flanking windows. An additional small door appears at the extreme left of the ground floor on the northern elevation.

The eastern courtyard elevation has a slightly advanced central tower with a segmental-arched access pend, now with a blind window to the first floor and blind half storey above. To the left of the tower, a two-storey four-bay block contains a window and door to bays one and two on the ground floor, with pairs of segmental-headed cart pends to bays three and four. The first floor has four small windows positioned close to the eaves. The right side of the tower mirrors the left, with fenestration reversed.

Windows throughout are timber sash and case with six, eight and twelve-pane glazing, including multi-paned semi-circular windows to the pavilions. Timber ventilation louvres serve the pavilions. The main building and towers are roofed with piended grey slate with lead ridging. Cast-iron rainwater goods and hoppers are evident. Many small ashlar wallhead stacks with plain terracotta cans survive, together with some ridgeline stacks featuring ashlar neck copes and plain cans.

The interior was originally planned with stabling and offices set around the central square courtyard. Some dividers remain in the stables, and original staircases access the upper storeys. The north-eastern and south-western angles of the blocks have been altered to form accommodation for estate workers. The courtyard has been re-surfaced in concrete.

Adjacent to the stable block is a pheasantry comprising a low ashlar and rubble wall forming a rough square to the left of the southern elevation, adjoining the piggery to the right of the southern elevation, and now enclosing garden ground.

Cottage accommodation forms a single-storey nine-bay block with alternate window and door fenestration running parallel to the eastern elevation of the stables. Blind gables address the north and south, with irregular fenestration to the east (rear). A further outbuilding to the south pertains to the former piggery.