The Stable Blocks are referred to as being by Flitcroft in a diary kept by William Freeman during 1749 just towards the end of the period when the architect was working at Lilford, 1742-1750. The buildings must have been in existence by 1744 when the grille extending between them was erected. The grille is fully documented as the work of Flitcroft in both correspondence and drawings held in Northampton Record Office. The Stables are treated as a pair of Palladian pavilions arranged to frame the rear elevation and define an extended court.

 

It is believed that the previous stables would have been to the north of the Hall. This is largely because of the importance given to the north entrance and a flight of steps that ran up the bank opposite. Steps remained in place until built over when the knife room was constructed by Dunn & Watson in 1909. 

 

In 1819 stabling occupied the east and west ranges of the South Stable Block (also confusingly referred to as the East Stable Block) and the east range of the North Stable Block (also confusingly referred to as the West Stable Block), each divided to provide nine stalls, providing housing for a total of twenty seven horses. The west range of the North Stable Block appears to have accommodated a brewhouse on the court side. Either side of the archways in both buildings lay a carriage house, each approached from the elevations facing the park rather than the court. A staircase truncated the eastern carriage houses and provided access from within the north and south archways up to the first floor accommodation. An additional stair in the space to the north of the brewhouse also served the first floor of the North Stable Block. External yards lay to the west of both Stable Blocks extending across to align with the rear face of the Hall. The south yard gave access to the Stables in the west range which were partitioned to provide two sections. The north yard also gave access to the brewhouse range and linked this across to other out offices that ran northwards from Sir Thomas Powys’s extension of the north range of the house.

 

A wall screening from the parterre sight of vehicles approaching the south side of the South Stable Block was placed by the 1840s and drawn by Habershon. The construction of a stone alcove at the east end of the south terrace by Habershon involved the reduction in size of the south yard and the reconstruction of the yard walls closer to the stable building.

 

Repairs were carried out to the Stables in 1881-1883. F.C. Halliday’s account for building work included both the repair of the building and the “Stable Turrets” and Minton, Hollis & Co. supplied paving tiles for the “New Stable” (i.e. in parallel with the refurbishment and refitting of the 18^th C stables). The work was carried out during the occupation of the ornithologist 4^th Lord Lilford and included the adaptation of the north block for use in conjunction with the aviaries. The present stone staircase with cast iron banisters appears to have been introduced at this time and replaced a straight flight against the east wall that terminated with winders at the first floor level. Halliday’s accounts also included the construction of the “new Carpenter’s Shop” within the north yard, reducing the space outside the brewhouse range. The alteration of the west half of the first floor of the South Stable Block also appears to be of the same time and possibly relates the use of the west range and room over the archway to the aviaries.

Alterations to the Stables for the 5^th Lord Lilford was primarily focussed on the construction of the engine room to serve the electric lighting that was installed in the house in 1899. Revolving shutters for the Motor House were accounted for in 1904 and a triple bay glazed canopy was erected across the south face of the carriage houses in the South Stable Block.

 

Alterations in the second half of the 20^th C have included the conversion of the north half of the South Stable Block to provide a flat. The upper floor of the North Stable Block has been adapted as an antiques centre and the stables have been dismantled in the east range. To create a through route, floors at the south end of the two side ranges have been removed and timber stairs introduced. The carpenter’s shop has been adopted as the boiler house.