Building record 5993/0/12 - Stamford Hovels, Ashton Wold Estate

The Stamford Hovels are a single storey single framed, weather boarded and thatched barn and cart shed. The timber frame stands on a coursed rock faced limestone plinth lined with brick. The principle elevation is symmetrical comprising two protruding gable ended wings either side of an open-fronted range. The roof structure is king post covered with reed thatch. Internally both the wings and open fronted central area have wooden mangers and tethering surviving along the rear wall. The eastern wing is subdivided on the ground floor with a rear room and a ladder to a hay loft.

{1} The Ashton Estate, stretching from the River Nene near Oundle in the west to Ashton Wold in the east, has been occupied since Roman times. In the 18th century it was a well-known sporting estate, with avenues of chestnut trees planted in a cross as rides, and a number of fox coverts. In the early 19th century the estate was owned by William Walcot and was largely farmed by tenants, with Ashton Wold continuing as a sporting ground. However, there is no evidence that it had ever contained a manor house, and when in 1860 it was purchased by Lionel Rothschild the sale particulars describe it as 'a very valuable and important landed estate', with sporting advantages, but no house adapted for the occupation of a gentleman. Both Lionel Rothschild and his son Nathaniel Mayer, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915), showed little interest in the estate, and the only structural work undertaken in the 19th century was the building of a hunting lodge at Ashton Wold. However, Lord Rothschild's second son, Nathaniel Charles (1877-1923) persuaded his father to build him a house on the site of the hunting lodge. In 1900 Lord Rothschild commissioned William Huckvale to design not only a house, but a model farm, an entire complement of estate buildings which included the Steward's house, stables, gardeners' accommodation, a building to house a fire engine, a petrol store, kennels (now derelict) and a dog hospital. Most of the cottages at nearby Ashton were rebuilt at this time to create a model village. The Stamford Hovels were part of this development and first appear on maps in c1920 when they are depicted in a small triangular shaped enclosure in association with a 'sheep wash'.

High quality design and workmanship were consistent themes throughout the estate, where traditional vernacular building traditions - Collyweston stone slate and thatch roof coverings, steeply pitched roofs, tall chimneys, limestone masonry walling and dressings and mullioned windows were all faithfully referenced. Simple working buildings - cart hovels, wash houses and potting sheds - were consciously afforded the same care as were the dwellings, farmsteads and garden structures.

Little is known about William Huckvale (1847-1936) who worked mainly for the Rothschilds and designed a number of buildings for them on the Tring Park estate, undertook considerable work at the Rothschild bank in New Court in the City of London, and was the architect for the Royal Mint Refinery. He also carried out work on the Rothschild estate at Aston Clinton. The quality of his work is reflected in the 42 listed buildings he already has to his name, 13 in Tring and 29 on the Ashton Estate.

The Stamford Hovels are a single-storey timber framed, weather-boarded and thatched barn and cart shed. The Timber frame stands on a coursed rock faced limestone plinth lined with brick. The principal, south facing elevation is symmetrical in design comprising two protruding gable ended wings either side of an open-fronted range, the front supported on wooden posts with curved roof braces. The roof structure is king post covered with reed thatch, ridge detailing and over sailing eaves. A small eyebrow dormer sits central to the principal elevation and provides little more than decoration to the open fronted barn beneath. The internal timber framing is protected externally by replacement and relatively modern tongue and groove style weather boarding. The northern elevation of the hovels is very simple in design with a continual stretch of weather boarding across its width. Two six-light casement windows are positioned in the eastern end of the elevation and there is a single eyebrow dormer in the roof above.

Internally both the wings and the open fronted central area have wooden mangers and tethering surviving along the rear wall. Some lapped weather boarding also survives internally. The western wing is paved in blue brick and open to the roof. The remainder of the building has earth floors. The eastern wing is subdivided on the ground floor with a rear room and a ladder to a hay loft.

Although the basic ground plan remains unaltered, an entrance has been inserted in the eastern side of the building and partition walls altered in places requiring the rebuilding of the brick plinth. The building does however have considerable local significance in the context of its group value with the rest of the Ashton estate and in the local building traditions which are expressed in its overall composition and construction. The Stamford Hovels are not of special architectural or historical interest and do not meet the criteria for listing.

<1> ENGISH HERITAGE, English Heritage Listing File (Report). SNN111579.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 8:09PM