| Description | 'The Old Stables', early 18th century building (SE 12895 23491).
'The Old Stables', Cow Lane, were the subject of a planning application in 2001 for the 'conversion of Stable Block to dwelling' (Calderdale Council planning reference number 01/01105/CON). Peter Thornborrow (WYAS) provided the consultion response.
Thornborrow describes the Old Stables as an unusual building with a three bay symmetrical facade, T shaped with a projecting two storey open porch flanked by a single bay of two light mullioned windows. The porch appeared to date from the early 18th century, possibly contemporary with the adjacent house dated 1717. The gabled porch copied earlier styles of buildings, having a wide semi circular arched doorway with moulded impost and quoined composite jambs, popular in Calderdale during the second half of the 17th century. Above the arch, Thornborrow observed a five light round topped mullioned window that copied a late 16th century style. Forming a continuous first floor sill band was a moulded plat band with unusual brackets under the window. The window in the outer bays had plain stone surrounds and a flat faced mullion; the inner surround was cut back and the mullions were chamfered on the inside while being flat on the outside. The mullions to the porch windows also had an inner chamfer. The side return of the porch had evidence for a columbarium with the pigeon hole blocked by brick and with a stone shelf inside to support nesting boxes. There was a single stone framed doorway on the left return with an arched forming pitching doorway. The right hand return wall had a single flight stone stair that provides the sole access to the first floor, a simple Venetian window was set above the apex.
The interior of the ground floor was featureless, the space divided into two unequal sized rooms divided by an un bonded stone wall. Each of the rooms were lit by two small windows set high up in the rear wall. The first floor had a single room open to the roof with exposed queen post trusses and purlins with tusked and pegged tenons, the rafters covered by plaster.
Thornborrow considered the building to merit listing.
The building, at the time of survey, was partly converted to a flat on the first floor. The ground floor was used for storage. The scheme proposed retaining the first floor as a single room open to the roof with the bathrooms and bedrooms on the ground floor. The proposal would remove the internal stone dividing wall, but as this was not considered original , Thornborrow could see no objection. Apart from a few minor changes regarding new glazing and the reuse of an internal stair in the new extension (which was in keeping), Thornborrow found the proposal acceptable.
(Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS). 2001. Consultation response to Calderdale Council planning reference number 01/01105/CON regarding 'The Old Stables', Cow Lane, Southowram).
The architect's plans have been retained and are held in the WYAAS archives. |