Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Date of Designation
15/04/1985
Date of Amendment
15/08/2001
Name of Property
Stable Block at Soughton Hall
Unitary Authority
Flintshire
Location
In a tree-lined enclosure to the SW of the house and facing N. The coach house range is attached at the NW corner.
History
Soughton Hall was built for the Conway family and was in Baroque style. A datestone of 1723 was recorded in 1995. It was fitted out after 1732 for the Rev John Wynne, Bishop of St Asaph (1714-1727) and subsequently Bath & Wells. His daughter married Henry Bankes of Kingston Lacy, Dorset, and the hall remained in the ownership of the Bankes family until the 1980s (it is now a hotel). The house was remodelled several times in the C19, including major work in the 1820s by William John Bankes and the architect, Sir Charles Barry. In 1868, Soughton Hall was extensively remodelled by John Douglas, architect of Chester, for John Scott Bankes.
Early Georgian stable block, said to retain Bankes heraldry so probably mid-C18. The stable block is now a restaurant.
Exterior
Large square 2-storey block constructed of brick with freestone dressings under double-pitched hipped slate roofs, and with tall brick stacks asymmetrically arranged. Detail includes banded angle pilasters, stone plinth and deep moulded eaves cornice. The 1st floor windows have shouldered architraves with keyblocks; the tall ground floor windows with simplified Gibbs surrounds, keyblocks and sill brackets. All contain later 2-light casements with small-pane glazing. Symmetrical 5-bay N front with advanced central frontispiece with bold parapet and pedestals (for ball-finials?). Tall round-arched entrance with decorated keyblock and hoodmould, containing double panelled doors under a 3-pane overlight. Above the entrance is a pair of oculi with moulded stone surrounds. Tall domed cupola to ridge above entrance, with weathervane and clock. Flanking the frontispiece are pairs of windows to each storey. The E side of the block is 4-window, the details as front. The 3-window S elevation is partly remade without freestone surrounds to window openings. Stone surround to central doorway with round-arched head with keystone and imposts, containing late C20 part-glazed double doors. Small-pane windows as elsewhere with flat-arched gauged brick heads with keystones. The lower storey windows appear to have been narrowed, whilst a 4th window to the far L of the upper storey has been blocked with brick. Four-window W elevation, as E, but 1st and 3rd windows from L have been converted to doorways in the late C20.
Interior
The interior has been converted to a restaurant. E-W cross wall with round arched openings; large cross- and spine- beams to ground floor ceiling. Some of the former stall partitions have been retained; they have arched top rails and posts with ball finials. Said to retain a good tie-beam roof.
Reason for designation
Listed grade II* as a fine and large early Georgian stable block, which forms part of a group with Soughton Hall.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]