This is the longest walk known to regency enthusiast. We have been on the road together for months and months, but then it is all about the journey and not the destination.
Enough philosophy. Where were we?
Ah yes. The Stables.
How about this for a fancy horse dwelling? Yes this really did accommodate horses. There a some still in residence.
The stables are in a square formation and entered through a gate in a wall. I love the stonework, and you can clearly see how it has been altered over the years, arches removed, windows added.
You can see from the next picture that not only horses would have been kept here but their carriages too. And I have also added yet another stable. You can see that the horses in both of these went through a door into an sort of alleyway with three or four stalls rather that eight or nine stalls I would have expected.
Very pampered horses I would say.
The carriage and stable yard are thought to stand on the site of the original Stourton House which was around in the time of King Alfred the Great, i.e prior to 899.
There is a drawing of that family's fortified house drawn in 1685, but by our time it seems the stables had replaced it. To me a sad loss, but I am sure the new buildings were far more comfortable.
The guests of our time would not have stopped at the stables of course. They would have been driven up to the front door.
This is the view they would have been presented with.
Next time we will go inside. Until then, happy rambles.
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