Building record 465/1/4 - Former cart hovel to the north of Bragborough Hall

A simple pre-1885 open-fronted cart hovel at Bragborough Hall was successively closed in and then divided up to become stables. It became redundant sometime during the 20th century.

{1} The former stables located to the north of the main house and other ancillary buildings at Bragborough Hall is a simple four bay structure which appears to have been built originally as an open fronted hovel, most likely for carts. Later, the east face of the hovel was enclosed by a wall containing four doorways to form four stable stalls. At this stage it appears that any internal divisions were probably of timber, perhaps in the form of a free-standing travis.
In a third stage of alteration the internal dividing walls were built in brick, but no attempt was made to tie them in to either the west or east walls. At this stage troughs were added and the walls painted white and black. The tongue and groove boarding may also relate to this phase but could equally have been installed in Phase II. During the latter years of the twentieth century a wide bay, open to the east, was added against the south gable wall, apparently to provide a carport. Apart from following the same dimensions and roof line as the earlier building it has no historic connection. It is probable that it was at this period that the roof was re-covered with the current metal sheeting.
The former stables have been much altered and mostly denuded of historic fixtures and fittings. The simple form and method of construction, as well as the location away from the main Hall complex, suggests that this was a farm cart hovel originally, close to the open fields. When converted to use as stables it is likely they were for farm use and not for the domestic household since a grander range of stables survives close to the rear of the house.
All phases appear to post-date the re-building of the Hall c1841 and the later additions are likely to date to the third quarter of the nineteenth-century at the earliest. The range is depicted on the 1885 Ordnance Survey map.

<1> Prentice, J., 2016, Building recording of a former cart hovel adjacent to North Bungalow, Bragborough Hall, Braunston, Northamptonshire, 2016, checked (Report). SNN110463.

Record last edited

Oct 12 2016 2:00PM