Design No. 34 — Riding-House and Stabling
This collection of designs could hardly be complete without a group of stable buildings. To make such a group picturesque is extremely difficult, and it is very seldom attempted. Such buildings mostly form a portion of the offices which are placed out of view, concealed by plantations or shrubbery, and generally at some distance from the mansion to which they appertain.
The present design, carried out in 1846 and 1848, was for some additional stabling to a baronial park, and it formed a conspicuous object. It stands on the eastern side of a quadrangle, the larger stabling being on the west, the offices of the mansion on the north (see above), and on the south there was a terrace-walk overlooking the park. The block of buildings as represented in the plan, comprised a riding-house a, 62 ft. in length by 32 ft. in width, a four-stall stable e, 30 ft. in length, a loose box b, 13 ft. square, and the boiler room d. The dung pit g, into which the liquid manure from the stable was sent, was on a very low level, and had a cart road at its side. The coach-house between the riding-house and stable was 40 ft. in length by 20 ft. in breadth; it had a covered area in front 44 ft. in length, with a width of 13 ft., and a well and pump. The prospect tower h, as well as the tower i, had iron staircases, which led to the stud-groom’s sleeping room, two harness rooms, and the gallery of the riding-house.
The latter was erected first. It is in brick, with a circular-ribbed wooden roof, on the plan introduced by Phil. de l’Orme, whose well-known book was published in Paris in 1567. He introduced a construction for roofing that is both cheap and efficient, and one that while plenty of light and ventilation can be obtained, gives the largest space in the interior of the room.
The walls of the riding-house were two bricks thick, laid English bond. As the foundation rested on the stone no concrete was used, but the rock, which was on a steep incline, was levelled in step-like fashion, to receive the walls. Buttresses were placed where the circular ribs of the roof were situate; two lines of iron-hoop bond, 1 in. by 1/16 in., tarred and sanded were laid in all the walls, piers, and buttresses; there were 13 courses 2 lines in side walls, 16 courses 2 lines in gable walls, and 7 courses 2 lines in buttresses. The walls were covered with brick copings formed of two courses of moulded bricks cut to lengths and mitred, and set and jointed in cement to gable ends: the flaunches of the angle buttress were formed with stocks, the upper courses set and pointed in cement, and the angles of parapets cut and mitred to the same.
Ragstone moulded corbels were placed over the piers inside the building, from these the circular ribs sprung and into which they were stubbed. The roof was thus described in the specification:—The roof will be formed of circular ribs placed two and two, each 7½ inches apart, screwed and bolted together, each single rib to be in three thicknesses, the inner one of oak and to consist of twenty-six pieces of 1¼ inch deal and ten of 1¼ oak, each separate piece 1 foot in width, and to be as long as the scantling of the timber will allow, the ribs to be wrought and glued together, and at each joint to have two hard nails or ¾ inch screws having a good thread; the top and bottom edges of rib cut fair for linings, the side finished for paint. Cross pieces, 7½ by 2½ inches, twelve to each pair of ribs, the whole to be bolted together. To prevent the ribs from being at an unequal distance, the two outer ribs to be sunk half-an-inch at the places where the purlins notch in them.
The purlins, eight in number, to run the whole length of roof, notching in the rib arches. The purlins to be placed in pairs and to have small cross struts either notched into them or securely nailed to prevent them from buckling or twisting.
All the horizontal timbers of roof, such as the purlins, poll plate, sill, and heads of skylight, to run 9 inches in end walls, and to be cogged on template. Each purlin, if not in one piece, to be properly scarfed. An oak wall-plate, 9 in. by 6 in., was laid the whole length and width of the building, running 6 in. in the wall at angles, where it was pinned and lapped. The plate in the arch over the entrance formed the upper part of the railing in the gallery.
This plate served as the abutment for twenty-four oak braces or struts, each 7 in. by 4 in., placed in the lower portions of the roof on each side, each strut to be sub-tenoned either into purlin or cross piece between rib, and the whole to be securely fixed.
The framing to support curb or sill of skylights to be in one piece, to run over the wood arches, and to be securely fixed to purlin.
Each pair of circular ribs moneyed out 22l. 4s. 6d. The more modern French style of forming this kind of roof would have been by bent ribs composed of three ten-inch planks, 12 inches by 3, cut true at the saw-mill, jointed with glue, planed all round, chamfered to edges, with 20 half-inch bolts. These would have cost only 13l. 16s. 8d. each, but they would have caused considerable lateral pressure against the side walls.
The roof of the riding-house is correctly shown in the small view, p. 389, which serves also to show the section. Fig. 1 of the accompanying cut shows one of the circular ribs, fig. 2 the section of the pair joined together, and fig. 3 the section of the more modern French method of bent ribs. A roof in this latter construction was put up by Mr. Charles Fowler, architect, at the sale-room, St. Paul’s Churchyard. The circular ribs of the roof were formed in three thicknesses of 1¼ deal, footed into iron sockets or corbels let into stone templates. As a precaution until the perfect set and settlement of the work, three of the roof-frames had iron tie-rods, which were removed when all fear of lateral thrust was over. A print of the room was given in the Builder.
The first construction described could be much improved, strengthened, and lightened by introducing an iron bar in lieu of the oak rib; and this has been done in several instances, resulting in the roofs standing well.
The chief portion of the bricks used in the construction of the riding-house were provided from the estate, and were carted on the ground for the use of the builder. His account came to 920l.
The elevation of the stable shows the entrance to the coachhouse in the centre, between coupled columns. These were in iron, of slightly Elizabethan character as to style. Two gabled windows are on each side, one forming the entrance to the riding-house, the whole flanked by two towers; that on the left contained the staircase leading to the gallery of the riding-house seen in the view, the other is the prospect tower, overlooking the park. These buildings were commenced and finished in 1848. The builder had to take down the old coachhouse and stabling which stood upon the site, and was permitted to use the old materials as far as they would go; one roof was re-used. The cost of the new building was 1107l. The whole length was 95 ft. One of its principal features was the prospect tower, a view of which and a representation of the back front is on p. 398; this was 60 ft. in height above the foundations.
An iron staircase led up to the small tower, which had a staircase leading to the roof or lead flat, upon which was a seat and flagstaff. The battlements of this small tower and its doorway were constructed of ragstone. This turret was corbelled out from the building as seen in the view; its plan and that of the corbelling is given on p. 399. The corbels were two bricks in height, each course; the arch is covered with a stone landing upon which the small turret stands. It has a lightning conductor. This, the three iron staircases, and the columns, cost 200l., which, however, was included in the previously stated amount of 1107l.
It was proposed to give the terrace-walk an ornamental stone. The balustrading and one of the bays of this balustrading are illustrated below.