Highfield Stables Newmarket, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

TL66SE NEWMARKET BURY ROAD (north west side)

5/10011 Highfleld Stables

GV II

Racehorse training stables. Formerly Bedford Lodge Stables attached to Bedford Lodge, now Bedford Lodge Hotel, Bury Road [qv]. A small part of the stables now used as an outbuilding of Bedford Lodge Hotel. Main stable range dated 1864. For Joseph Joel Dawson, racehorse trainer. Later C19 stable ranges at rear. Gault brick in Flemish bond, the main range with contrasting red brick dressings and stone details; slate hipped roofs, lead roof on clock tower. Italianate style. PLAN: a long main range has a central cross-passage to stable yard with ranges of stables at left hand end of yard. In the central section of main range four cage boxes on each side of cross-passage with loft storey above, and a slightly recessed, single storey wing to each side; originally each wing contained five loose boxes, but three boxes at the end of the left hand wing now part of outbuilding attached to Bedford Lodge Hotel. At rear of main range, facing into the stable yard, a lean-to range of four loose boxes and tack room to left, and opposite a range of loose boxes with added range of cage boxes at rear. EXTERIOR: main range of two storeys and single storey wings has symmetrical front with a projecting central bay and tall clock tower in two stages above. Semi- circular archway with timber doorcase and double doors with radiating lights in the heads. Inset above a stone cornice, the clock tower with quoin strips in alternating blocks of red and gault brickwork, the lower stage capped by a moulded stone cornice, and the upper stage crowned by a pyramidal roof with eaves supported by timber brackets, and on the apex of the roof large, ornate, wrought iron weather vane. On lower stage an apron panel framing a metal plaque inscribed with date and initials JD flanking an escutcheon in relief, and an arched sash above; in the upper stage on each side of tower a similar arched sash and above each sash a circular opening in red brick with a raised, tripartite keyblock set with keystone; the circular openings frame clock faces to front and rear and timber louvres on the sides. On each side the two storey front has a brick eaves cornice, and raised quoin strip at each end; in each side a central doorway with is framed by rusticated brick pilasters with brick caps, and a brick segmental arch springing from a moulded brick string course at first floor level; within each doorway a tall rectangular overlight and a vertical boarded stable door; to either side of both doorways a 3/3 sash; above a horizontal sash with glazing bars; all the sashes in openings with cambered brick-arched heads and projecting stone sills. The single storey wing to right has five stable doors to loose boxes in openings with overlights, and in the wing to left two stable doors in similar openings. Stable ranges facing yard have stable doors with horizontal sliding sashes in overlights in openings with cambered heads and metal roof vents. INTERIOR: in the main range the passages to the cage boxes are entered from outer doorways and from doorways in the side walls of the cross passage; cage boxes with boarded fronts and doors with iron grilles above are set between timber posts supporting lateral first floor beams, with timber partitions lined with hoop-iron strapping. In ranges facing yard at rear partitions between boxes in rear range have fumed timber balustrading at high level. HISTORY: Bedford Lodge and its former racehorse training stables were built for the fifth and sixth Dukes of Bedford and sold in 1861 by the seventh duke. The estate was purchased by Sir Joseph Hawley who sold it on to the Duke of Bedford's former trainer, William Butler. Butler demolished the original stabling and sold the Lodge to Joseph Dawson who built main range of stables adjoining the Lodge. Dawson, an important innovative trainer, developed the training of two year old horses for racing, and intr