Building record 2416/0/395 - Former stables and cart shed, Drumming Well Lane

May have been associated with the Talbot Inn to the east Summary from record 2416/0/396: Previously used as a bottle store by the Talbot Inn

{1} This building is 22.3m long and 5.6m wide and is apparently inserted into the stone wall forming the north boundary of the site. It is built of hand-made 9in (290mm) red brick, laid in Flemish bond, the bricks bearing the hack-marks from the dying stacking, characteristic of early-mid 19th century brickwork. There are 55 1/2 courses of brick above ground level on the north side. The building is roofed with traditional 'S' section pantiles of North European type, classified by Morse as Type B1.
The building is divided internally by 9-in cross walls into a series of bays, numbered 1-5, bays 1-4 being approximately the same width and constructed as stabling for horses. The floor, where it can be seen, is of stable pavoirs, and probably laid to fall to a longitudinal drain, although the buidling is now filled with rubbish and this arrangement can no longer be seen. The walls are plastered internally, and painted black up to the height of 1.87m above which it is whitewashed. The ceiling of each stable at 2.99m, is lathed and plastered, again with a limewash finish.

Each stable appears to have been designed as a loose box, although there is a single tethering ring at 2m high to which a leading ring could be attached. Just above the tethering ring is a small ventilator- consisting of two clayware bricks, each with a half-round channel, which when laid together provide a round channel to the exterior. Single vents to stables are well known, and occur, for instance in the stable ranges associated with Cobthorne, the building on the S side of West Street in Oundle.

Each stable apparently had a cast-iron drinking trough set in the corner, of which only one now survives in Bay 3. This has a further tethering ring on the front.

Bay five appears to have been a cart or gig house, with a double door in to the south yard, 2.65m wide with weatherboarding above it.

Attached to this building at the west end were two lean-to brick structures now only represented by the mortar creasing on the wall of the main building and the remains of the side walls.

At the east end of the site there is another building, built of stone, the rear (north) wall built upon the original stone wall of the yard. This building is 5.5m long internally, by 3.4m, its side walls extending to the east and curving round to form a small forecourt and piers, all very crudely built. The end had double doors. The building clearly contained a wheeled vehicle which could be taken out directly on to Drumming Well Lane. The building has one small louvred window to the south, and is roofed with similar pantiles. Although built of stone, it is clearly later than other buildings on the site and was probably constructed in the mid 19th century, perhaps as a private garage. Until its present period of disuse, it was used by the Talbot as a bottle store.

{2}Large red brick structure to the rear of Drummingwell Lane- stables for Talbot Inn? Now out of use and grown over. Film 1, photo 23-25.

<1> Woodfield P.; Tingle M., 2003, An Archaeological Desk-based Assessment and Trenching of land at the rear of the Talbot Hotel, Oundle, P.12-14 (Report). SNN103145.

<2> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Oundle (Industrial), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100257.

Record last edited

Oct 2 2019 12:03PM