Stable Block at The Argoed

This is a stable block, dating back to the medieval period with significant alterations in the 19th century, located at The Argoed. It is a rectangular building constructed from sandstone conglomerate rubble, with a roof of stone slates to the lower courses and Roman tiles above. The original roof pitch was steeper, as evidenced by ghosting on the downhill gable, and it was subsequently altered in the 19th century, resulting in the current roof structure. A 19th-century gabled bellcote is present on the downhill gable end, along with a 2-light loft window and a later entrance below. The uphill gable end features a round-arched, chamfered loft opening with a stone sill dating back to the late medieval period. Below this is a broad 4-centred arch entrance, with a sunk-chamfered moulded archway and boarded doors. A dwarf wall projects from this corner to a pier topped with a ball finial, accompanied by a three-step mounting block constructed from the local conglomerate. The main elevation, facing the forecourt, has four windows; the central pair are 3-light windows with ovolo-moulded mullions, each displaying carved armorial shields on the jambs, with a coat of arms above the chamfered stone lintel on the left-hand window; a timber lintel is present on the right-hand window. A single-light window with similarly moulded jambs sits on the far left, and the larger opening on the far right has boarded doors incorporating reused splat balusters. It is possible that some or all of these front openings were reused from earlier parts of the main house. A lean-to at the rear has been reroofed.

The interior, as observed during a 1993 resurvey, features stabling for seven horses arranged along the north-west wall, with a stone-flagged floor and drain. Substantial turned timber stanchions, featuring ringed and grooved ornamentation, are set into sandstone bases. These stanchions share a design with those found in the main house’s staircase and first-floor landing, suggesting a possible origin from the house itself, perhaps when the stairs were renewed. Each stall is linked by a timber arcade with pendants and a moulded cornice (partly missing); the swept-up stall dividers have iron top-rails. A central entrance to the coach-house, which has been modernised in the late 20th century and lost character, was previously located in the rear wall. Whitewashed stone dividing walls flank the access to this entrance. The loft floor supports chamfered beams, and the roof is supported by 19th-century king-post trusses.