Stables and Coach House at Rheola House

Cadw's description

Location

In parkland to the N of the B4242 between Resolven and Glynneath. To the E of Rheola House approximately 150m from the main entrance gate.

History

Probably early C19 and contemporary with Rheola House, the country house of 1812-18 designed by John Nash for his cousin John Edwards. The parkland at Rheola is by Nash and the Edwards family and is designed to be compact, picturesque and rural. The stable would have provided stabling for the horses of Rheola House and would have been built as part of the parkland being deliberately located so as not to interrupt the distant views towards the house. Single storey garage wing added early C20.

Exterior

Stable block & Coach-house. Coursed squared stone with dressed stone quoins and window and door surrounds. Small pane windows with curved heads, 15 pane to the ground floor, 10 to the first floor both with glazed curved heads. Plank doors and hipped slate roof.

U-plan with 2 storey stable wing to west and coach-house to south later single storey garage wing to east, enclosing a courtyard.

Stable wing of 6 bays offset to left, to ground floor 2 windows to either side of 2 ground floor doors. N gable elevation has single window to the ground floor left. Rear elevation of 4 windows to the ground floor and wide doorway to the first floor offset to left. Coach-House wing of 5 bays, 4 wide carriage entrances to the ground floor left with double doors, narrow door with window over and further window to right. Rear elevation of 4 windows to the first floor and 2 to ground. Later single storey garage wing added to the E attached to the coach-house wing.

Interior

Partially converted but the stable wing retains original stalls and loose boxes on the ground floor with cast iron pillars, railings and feed baskets. Internal timber floor structure replaced. Coach-house wing has lost original partitions and fittings

Reason for designation

Included for its special architectural interest as a substantial well designed stable block and coach-house, an important component of the range of estate buildings at Rheola and for its group value as part of the designed landscape at Rheola House.