Stable Block at Llanvihangel Court

Cadw's description

Location

About 30m south of Llanvihangel Court

History

This building is a great rarity, a formal stable block dating from the reign of Charles I, c1630-40 and largely unaltered since. It seems likely to have been built soon after the purchase of the property by Nicholas Arnold in 1627. It was built with a formal brick front in the up-to-date Flemish bond but yet pragmatically re-used cruck blades from an older building for the roof. The barn appears to have been attached to the rear soon after first building. Both buildings appear in the c1680 painting in the house, the stable block is clearly recognisable exactly as now.

Exterior

Rough red sandstone walls with a red brick front elevation in Flemish bond facing the house, Welsh slate on the front slope and the top courses of the rear slope, stone tile below this. Long low single storey symmetrical block with central entrance, the falling ground makes it higher at the rear. Three large windows on either side of the central doorway. The windows are 2-light mullion-and-transom in oak, 3 X 3 over 5 X 15 panes. They appear to be early C20 reproductions of the original form, some of the jambs are the original timber. The wide door has an oak architrave. Plain roof with deep eaves. Taking-in door to hayloft in left gable end. The right gable has two attic windows under new timber lintels. The rear wall is blind except for a small window for the tack room, a large chimney rises beside this. The floor beam ends project through the wall and have been sawn off; they may have carried a pentice.

Interior

Central lobby with C19 tack room behind, this has a fireplace, saddle hooks etc. On either side are the largely unaltered stables with turned posts separating the stalls. Those to the left are mostly complete, to the right only the posts survive. Two posts on either side are extended to support the hayloft above. Some original ironmongery on the stalls. The main ceiling beams have ridge mouldings, the nail holes on the joists suggest that it was originally plastered between the beams to give a formal effect. The roof is very remarkable and almost entirely original. It is a single space hayloft/granary. There are seven principal rafter trusses with two tiers of trenched purlins and a ridge piece. The remarkable thing is that the principals appear all to be re-used cruck blades with their feet cut off. The roof was altered at one end to incorporate the new ridge for the barn.

Reason for designation

Listed grade I as an exceptionally rare surviving example of an early C17 formal stable block built in brick.

Group value with all the historic buildings at Llanvihangel Court.