SNN110968 - Historic building recording & archaeological monitoring: The Coach House, Causin Way, Lower Benefield, 2017

In April 2017 a historic building survey was undertaken of The Coach House, Causin Way, Lower Benefield, Northants, prior to its refurbishment and conversion for residential use. The building, of limestone under a gabled roof clad in Collyweston slate, was originally constructed in the early 18th century as the coach house to the adjoining Grade II listed Berkeley House, with stabling for possibly four horses, storage for tack and a trap or similar vehicle on the ground floor and hay/feed storage on the floor above. Latterly one of the stable units had been stripped out and turned into a cart shed, with the insertion of large double doors in the front elevation. In the late 20th century the doors of the central bay had been replaced with a modern roller shutter, serving as a garage. Although some of the doors and windows had been replaced, the building retains many original features, such as the mangers and hay traps in the stable, fittings in the tack room and most of the original flooring. In July and September a programme of archaeological monitoring was undertaken during the excavation of footing trenches and service runs for a rear extension to the Coach House and detached garages to the west and south of the existing building. Observations for the extension revealed the remains of a cobbled yard surface to the rear of the existing building, probably connected with the original access to the central loft on the upper floor, which appears from cartographic evidence to have had an external ladder. Other than the cobbled yard, excavations for the garages and services did not reveal any heritage assets.