1881 – New Stables, Brick St, Park Lane, Mayfair, London

“Our illustration represents a group of stable buildings about to be erected in Brick-street, Park-lane, for the Marquis, under the direction of Mr. James Brooks, and is taken from a drawing in the present Exhibition of the Royal Academy. There will be accommodation for fourteen horses in one range of buildings, placed next a central court of somewhat irregular form. Of these, twelve will be in two six-stall stables, and two in loose-boxes, while four more horses will be placed in loose-boxes in another range of buildings on the opposite side of the court. There will be also a cleaning-shed for horses, a harness-room, and a spacious shed enclosed all round and lighted by a skylight for the carriages and for carriage-cleaning operations.

On the first floor, facing Brick-street, will be a residence for the coachman, and the remainder of the upper story will be occupied with lofts and dormitories, and mess-room for eight helpers, together with lavatories, etc. The buildings will be faced with red brick, all mouldings being formed in the same material, and the stonework will be of red Mansfield. The sides of the cleaning-spaces will be faced with glazed bricks, which will be introduced in bands of different tints, and a dado of Staffordshire blue bricks will be formed on the face of all the walls next the stable court. The flooring of upper story throughout will be fireproof. The surfaces of loft floors will be of asphalts, and the rest of Gregory’s wood-block paving or Minton’s tiles. The roofs are intended to be covered with Pen Moyle green slates ; and thorough ventilation is proposed to be introduced through the whole range of buildings. The stables and loose-boxes will have fresh air admitted by means of large gratings in the window recesses, and the supply regulated by hinged flaps ; vitiated air will be extracted by shafts from the ceilings of the stables, communicating with Sharpe’s Crown ejectors fixed above the roofs. The stables and coach-houses will be paved with Adamantine clinkers, and the whole of the fittings will be supplied by Messrs. Musgrave. It is intended that these shall comprise the most recent improvements in this branch of manufacture, and that the sanitary arrangements shall be of the most perfect description. The carriage-houses and harness-room will be kept warm by hot-water coils, and means of drawing hot water as well as cold will be provided both in the carriage-cleaning place and the horse-cleaning place. Every endeavour will, in short, be used to render the establishment thoroughly fitted for the purpose for which it is intended.”