Lofted stables, cottage, kennel and coachhouse range at Plas Gwyn

Lofted Stables, Cottage, Kennel and Coachhouse Range at Plas Gwyn

This is a linear range of rubble masonry with brick dressings, built to provide stables and domestic accommodation. The front elevation is rendered, with dressed stone arches over cartbay doors. The slate roof features rendered rectangular stacks, gable stacks to the main range, a ridge stack across the advanced block to the north-east, and to the rear of the main range an advanced stack with twin hexagonal shafts.

The range comprises several functional sections. At the north end stands the former servant's quarters, advanced at the north-east corner, accessed through a ground floor doorway in the north wall with a loft doorway above reached via external stairs along the south wall of the adjacent stable block. The advanced wing was extended to the south by a single pitch addition under a catslide roof, with a small walled enclosure to the south housing kennels built in the angle. The north end windows are timber mullioned paired lights, while the domestic accommodation has sash windows with slate sills throughout.

To the south extends the main five-window range, originally stables but now partly converted to domestic accommodation. This is functionally divided into three sections. The southernmost section is a three-window range with an offset doorway to the left. To the right of the doorway is an unequal 12-pane sash window, to the left a two-pane casement with a fixed light to the far right; first floor windows are four-pane horned sashes. The central section has an offset doorway to the left with ground and first floor windows to the right, representing the right-hand unit of a paired, mirrored stable arrangement, the left-hand unit now part of the domestic accommodation to the south. To the right are lofted stables, accessed by a doorway to the left raised by a flight of stone steps, with scattered fenestration of timber mullioned windows above and to the right.

At the southern end of the main range is a coachhouse of two bays under a hipped roof, extended by a further coach house and garage to the south under a single pitch roof, with a rounded wall following the curve of the drive. Both bays have wide double boarded doors with segmental heads.

The rear of the main linear range comprises paved stables to the south, with doors and flanking windows all with brick arched heads and ventilation slits to the hayloft above. A visible line in the masonry shows where the height of the eaves was raised. A single window stands at the far right (north) end. To the rear of the domestic accommodation to the north are first floor four-pane horned sash windows under the eaves, and the ground floor has been extended back under a lean-to addition with central doorway and flanking windows. To the rear of the coachhouse is a single storey lean-to addition now used as workshop and store rooms; the workshop to the left has a single window with door to the right, the store room with double doors. To the rear of the added coachhouse and garage is a blocked doorway and a single window set high in the apex in the south wall of the store room.

The former servant's quarters retain small hob grates and ground floor flooring incorporating kiln tiles from a mill drying house. The lofted stable to the right (north) end, accessed via the raised doorway, leads into the first floor with massive cross beams, one of which bears the initials and date J / W E / 1734. The doorway to the left opens into what was formerly a pair of stables; the left-hand stable is now incorporated into the domestic accommodation, while the right-hand stable retains its boarding lining the walls, the manger and hayrack to the rear. The coachhouse appears to be a later build, with sawn timbers and king post trusses. The tack room retains a small hob grate and tack hooks. To the rear, the lower floor of the lofted stables retains a stone trough along the rear wall.

Later lean-to additions have been made to the south and along the rear (west) wall.