STABLE COTTAGE, THE MANOR HOUSE, WOODMANCOTE
Work was completed on the conversion of a Grade II listed curtiledge structure, formerly a stable, into a two storey, two bedrooms dwelling in June 2004. A new double garage was also built at the same time.
The original stable had been altered many times in its history and before conversion no longer looked like a 'stable'. It was a deliberate aim of the design to put back features that made the building look as the stable may have looked in its 'hay day'.
For example in the photograph of the existing stable, a small opening existed in a central position above the central door and it is likely that this was the lower section of a door opening into a hay loft which must have been covered in its own dormer roof. One can imagine a cantilevered bracket above the door with a pulley for hoisting hay and straw bales into the loft. The conversion reinstates the dormer roof which provides a window into a bathroom.
The existing front openings had previously been crudely enlarged, presumably to house modern vehicles. The conversion reinstates the original openings, together with brick arches that would have existed for the horses and the household's carriage or trap.
The conversion effectively has built a new building within the old shell thereby placing no extra structural loading on the existing walls, thus preserving the walls, parts of which have original flintwork dating back hundreds of years.
The 1905 Ordnance Survey map shows the stable as part of a collection of buildings to the north and east of the house creating a courtyard entrance. The strategic positioning of the new double garage help to reinstate the spirit of the old courtyard by defining a new eastern edge.
By the careful conversion of a redundant structure we hope we have created two things, firstly a charming and comfortable dwelling and secondly a building that is instantly recognisable as a former stable. With both these criteria fulfilled we feel that the true spirit of 'conservation' has been achieved.
The designer worked closely with the Chichester District Council Conservation Officer to achieve a satisfactory solution the result of which is a building that is not only an asset to the owners but also to the wider community by preserving a piece of heritage for the foreseeable future.
The Building Contractor was Complete Construction of Westbourne.
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