Introduction
The stables here at Gamekeeper’s Cottage are one of it’s features that add to the uniqueness of the property. Set away from the property near the front gate, they are formed of the wooden stable building itself, with 2 stalls and a small tack room. In front of them there is a concrete stable yard and another small concrete area to the righthand side.
We don’t know exactly when the stables were built, but from looking at old aerial photos, we can tell that they are at least 20 years old.
How they were
When we moved into the property, the stables were in a very sorry state and had clearly not been maintained for a number of years.
The cladding was rotten in a number of places on the back and sides. But it was the roof that was worst. Vegetation was growing over it from the bushes that surrounded it and there were holes where the boards on the roof had rotten through. We also had concerns about the state of some of the framework, which appeared to be rotten.
What were we going to do about them?
Our initial thought was that the structure may be too far gone to save and we would have to tear it down and rebuild. Some research online at the cost of similar buildings put that idea to rest as it would be in excess of £20,000.
Our only choices therefore were to remove it and be stuck with the concrete remains, or attempt to repair it. We decided on the latter, but due to limited budget, it would need to be done over time.
Stage 1 of the renovation
Soon after we moved in, we made some emergency repairs patching the worst holes in the roof and covering it with tarpaulin over that winter.
The following spring and summer, we removed the worst of the vegetation and replaced the cladding on part of the back of the building, where the old cladding had pretty much fully rotted away in places.
We then had to take a break to focus on repairs to the house itself.
The next stages
In the next post, I will discuss the replacement of the stable roof that we finally got done over the summer of 2023 and after that the replacement of the cladding on the left hand side of the building, together with what is left to be done.
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