Building record 1156/2/3 - Coach House c.25m North-West of Ecton Hall

Coach house, now outbuildings. Datestone T.I./1777, altered C19.

{1} Coach house, now outbuildings. Datestone T.I./1777, altered C19. Lias ashlar with slate roof. Originally probably 2 coach houses and stabling. Single storey with attic. Main front of 4-window range of sashes with glazing bars under gauged stone arches. Central semi-circular carriage arch with plain surrounds and keyblocks. 2 doors, one 6-panelled, to either side of covered way under arch. Segmental arch openings to far left and right have initials and date in keyblocks and capitals and C20 doubl . Topped roof dormers. Ashlar parapets and brick stacks at ends. Rear has small semi-circular arch head opening with plank door. Wood lintel above is evidence of blocked carriage arch. Interiors not inspected. Included for group value.

{3} The coach house associated with Ecton Hall was erected in 1777 (datestone) and was probably used as two coach houses and stabling. The building was later altered in the C19th. The building is located on an east-west alignment and is symmetrical in forma and layout. There are coach arches to the east and west of the building (providing access to the two separate coach houses) and a large coach arch in the centre of the building on the south face. There was originally an arch on the north face, but all that remains is a wooden timber lintel part way up the wall. A smaller doorway is located in the centre of this face. The plans drawn by an architect in January 2000 indicate that there were staircases in each of the coach houses leading up to the first floor (these had been demolished by the time of the field visit in April). There were chimneys on each of the gable ends of the building with fireplaces at first floor, but not at ground floor level. The fireplaces and roof dormers on the first floor of the building indicate that the area was probably used for accomodation - presumably for grooms employed by Ecton Hall. The area flanking the central archway had a range of windows at ground level on the south face and a series of arches on the north face (the latter were blocked during the C19th). This area of the building was originally used as stabling, but it is uncertain what function the building had after alteration. During the field visit formerly blocked features on the interior of the south wall of the building at ground level were revealed. These appeared to be doorways and a recessed cupboard, but the coursing of the stonework on the exterior appeared to be original.

{4} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 18/70 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1986, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G05 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN100394.

<3> Ballinger J., 2000, Coach House And Stables Associated With Ecton Hall, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN100691.

<4> Photographs of buildings in Ecton (Photographs). SNN111810.

Record last edited

Aug 13 2024 9:59AM