Monument record MYO4353 - Stables and coach house in grounds of The Retreat

Summary

In the grounds of The Retreat to the south is a small farm complex with buildings standing on both sides of the north-south drive leading down to the burial ground in the south-east corner. On the east side of the drive is a two-storey stables and coach house building aligned east-west, which was built in the mid C19. It is an attractive building and decoratively ornate for its functional use, having full-height blind arcading to all its exterior walls. This imbues it with an architectural quality which is lacking in the second, smaller coach house later attached to its south-east corner, which has plain brick walls. It also suggests that it is architect designed, although a designer is not known. The building retains original door and window apertures and small-pane window frames. Inside, the layout of stables, cross staircase, tack room, coach house and upper floor remain. Although the stalls have been removed other original features survive, such as the hay drops, stone steps, boarded tack room with cast-iron range and tack pegs in the coach house. Attached to the east gable wall is a small, very complete, early-C20 mortuary. Despite its discreet location and small size, it has been carefully designed in a Domestic Revival style with paired, segmental-arched batten doors and timber-framed windows to the front elevation, beneath a half-timbered gable with barge boards. The interior remains intact with its original fixtures and fittings relating to its use. While the mortuary is relatively late in date, redevelopment of large hospital complexes has only tended to preserve the principal buildings, making the survival of ancillary buildings such as mortuaries increasingly rare. This building survives as a good example of a small, purpose-built mortuary, which served as an ancillary building to the asylum and the Quaker burial ground which lies at the south end of the drive in the south-east corner of the grounds. It is recommended that the larger, arcaded stables and coach house and the mortuary attached to its east gable wall are listed at Grade II. The smaller coach house attached to its south-east corner is later C19 and is plainly built without the architectural detailing of the earlier building.

Location

Grid reference Centred SE 6164 5082 (24m by 7m)
Map sheet SE65SW
Unitary Authority City of York, North Yorkshire

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

The mid-C19 stables and coach house and attached early-C20 mortuary are listed Grade II for the following reasons:

Architectural interest:
* the stables and coach house is likely to be architect-designed, demonstrated in its architectural
quality through the use of unusual and decorative full-height, blind arcading to all the exterior walls;
* the stables and coach house retains the original layout and features, including a boarded tack room
with cast-iron range, tack pegs in the coach house and hay drops for the stables;
* despite its discreet location and small size, the mortuary has been carefully designed in a Domestic
Revival style with a front elevation of paired batten doors and timber-framed windows beneath a
half-timbered gable with deep bargeboards;
* the interior of the mortuary remains intact with original fixtures and fittings relating to its use.

Historic interest:
* the survival of ancillary buildings such as mortuaries is becoming increasingly rare within large
hospital complexes and this mortuary remains as a good example of a small, purpose-built mortuary serving the asylum and the Quaker burial ground in the south-east corner of the grounds.

Group value:
* the stables and coach house and the attached mortuary, which stand in the grounds, both have a
functional group value with the listed Retreat.

Historic England 2018


Historic England, 2018, Grounds associated with the The Retreat Advice Report (Unpublished document). SYO2116.

Historic England, 2018, The Retreat Advice Report (Unpublished document). SYO2115.

Sources/Archives (2)

  • --- Unpublished document: Historic England. 2018. The Retreat Advice Report.
  • --- Unpublished document: Historic England. 2018. Grounds associated with the The Retreat Advice Report.

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Oct 17 2018 1:47PM

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