# Bradgate house stables



## BikinGlynn (Jun 19, 2019)

Its hard to believe this is "just" a stable block, the scale of this place is extraordinary. A friend mentioned this by saying "there is some castle thing over that field" & its easy to forgive him for thinking that.

This is the stable block for Bradgate house which was demolished in 1926 but somehow this survives (just). It was built on a lavish scale (the bill is thought to have run to £30,000) for the Seventh Earl of Stamford when he was made Master of Quorn Hunt in 1856. 
It was built In the Jacobean style. Red brick with white brick decorative banding, ashlar dressings, plain tile roofs, clustered brick gable and ridge stacks. Quadrangular plan. The main south front is of 5 bays with a central projecting, square entrance tower, 2 storeys plus attics. Round headed archway, with moulded ashlar imposts and arch with keystone decorated by a fox's head. 

Explored with HughieDW we over thought this one a bit & spent a hilarious 45min clambering through undergrowth, dodging imaginary farmers & being on tenterhooks over the elusive "bull", to discover what is in fact a very relaxed mooch.
This is a bit pic heavy for which I wont apologise as it was way soo photogenic tbh but hope you enjoy.

Back in its heyday it looked something like this


stables_old by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


& today it looks more like this.


IMG_4579 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4591 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4596 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4604 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4584 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4601 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4606 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4607 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4571 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


Loved this marking adjacent to a doorway in, Im convinced these are finger marks from years of use.


IMG_4610 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4572 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4575 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4546 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4542 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4556 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4554 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4560 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4562 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4535 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4623 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4531 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4627 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr



IMG_4619 by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


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## HughieD (Jun 19, 2019)

Great exploring with you mate and great set of pix.


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## Sabtr (Jun 20, 2019)

You know your hand is almost identical to mine? Almost fainted because my brain couldn't work it out - I knew I hadn't been there!

Oh blimey where to start?
I'm getting a strong emotion of hate towards whoever built this. Back then people were living like slaves trying to put food on the table and then you had people like this who could afford such extravagance and just to play 'chasey' on horses or whatever. 

The frontage is stunning. A shame the place hasn't got long left - once those bricks start doing that they'll rapidly decline in strength.
Is it just the one spiral staircase or are there several? The layout's a little confusing behind that frontage.
Is anything else left aside from the old stables? Are there plans to save it or is the current owner lazy??

Fascinating report and far far bigger a place than I expected.


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## BikinGlynn (Jun 20, 2019)

Sausage said:


> You know your hand is almost identical to mine? Almost fainted because my brain couldn't work it out - I knew I hadn't been there!
> 
> Oh blimey where to start?
> I'm getting a strong emotion of hate towards whoever built this. Back then people were living like slaves trying to put food on the table and then you had people like this who could afford such extravagance and just to play 'chasey' on horses or whatever.
> ...



People have often said I have fingers like sausages but I had no idea they meant it so literally!

I know what you mean about slavery, it was unbelievable & I only realised half way through that there were fireplaces everywhere & we were in fact looking at living quarters, below is a plan (stolen from Hughies post) that shows the layout.
There were 4 spirals 2 single storey ones at the back & 2 doubles at the front leading to what would of been rooms over the entrance tower.
You are correct that its days are numbered a large portion of the carriage house has simply disappeared & subsequently the bricks have been palliated.


48090762106_3ae20d2ea6_o by Bikin Glynn, on Flickr


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## Sabtr (Jun 20, 2019)

It's massive!

A hall near here had a similar setup but not as big as those. Lots of accommodation and spare space for visitors is built into the hall here. They'd have not just those important guests visiting but also the entourage who traveled with them. I expect those stables had spare capacity for such guests too.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Jun 20, 2019)

Sausage said:


> I'm getting a strong emotion of hate towards whoever built this. Back then people were living like slaves trying to put food on the table and then you had people like this who could afford such extravagance and just to play 'chasey' on horses or whatever.



Unfortunately your comments in this particular instance do not match the facts. The building of the large country houses gave employment and a roof over their heads to people born and living in the areas that contained these properties, who otherwise would have been scraping together a living. Large gangs of builders, joiners etc., were able to find long periods of gainful employment moving around the country constructing the properties. Large stable blocks like this were very common in the days before the combustion engine; the riding horse, carriage horse and plough/cart horse, along with the groom, driver and stable hand were the most valuable asset on estates like this. However any largish town house would have had its stables and accommodation for driver and groom etc. - most now have been demolished or converted into garages. I grew up in a flat situated in a very large, early Victorian semi; in the back yard was situated the stables and carriage house, with groom/driver accommodation over - all eventually converted into garages in the '30's after the place became flats - all three sons having died on the Somme. The glass houses and flower/vegetable beds in the B/W photograph indicate the levels of employment these big houses provided at other levels


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## Sabtr (Jun 21, 2019)

Nah!
Up here we had wealthy landowners who had been passed land through war. They raided the land for everything they could get and grew incredibly wealthy - squandered wealth I might add..
Back then (up here) they mined for coal. Miners signed agreements whereby an actual miner, the person, themself, became the property of the mine owners (landowners). Not tied to a mine I might add but actual property of a landowner. Imagine it - actual property - slaves. You can see where coal miners and unions began forming. Even slipping a simple piece of paper which mentioned a meeting to another person could see you imprisoned for a very long time.
Landowners up here dabbled into politics and theatricals. They gambled heavily too. Gradually, through bad decisions the line of male heirs was lost and the family line wiped from the land. Bad decisions included one who fondled a young maid. She took offence and kicked him in the privates and he died of that injury..

Sure the great halls created employment but it was more a travelling thing. Those skilled masons would travel to each new site as it arose. 
Here, a few locals would be employed as servants and the like the majority of employment by the wealthy was in the mines. As slaves.


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## Mikeymutt (Jun 22, 2019)

Wow they are beautiful mate. I do love a nice stable block. And these are very grand


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## WhiteStag13 (Jun 24, 2019)

Really like this report! Keep up the great work!


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