Stables and coach house

The Old Riding Stables and Coach House - wherever I lay my horse, that's my home
The first use of a riding stable can be traced back to Egypt in 1300BC. A massive riding stable, capable of holding 480 horses was discovered during a dig of an ancient Egyptian city.

Horses were an important element of Roman life. Whilst the stables before you are not that old, Drove Road where they stand is believed to be the site of a Roman Road. It is therefore very likely that stables have always been in operation around this area.

The original stables would have belonged to Kemps, which was built in 1540. During the Georgian era (1714 to 1830) stables were constructed with stones, often whatever was available locally. Food for the horses was stored in a hayloft above the stables, which would often double as accommodation for the grooms and other stable staff. The horses were accommodated in individual stalls, tied with a rope with a stone weight on its end.

The Victorians improved the quality of stables, and even had official guidelines on what was required. This included damp-free floors, draught-free ventilation and improved drainage. Stables at this time were also an indication of wealth, and the rich would ensure they had the finest horses and best-paid staff to look after their status symbol.

During the 1960s and 70s, the riding stables were run as a private concern. People could either house their own horses here, or pay to rent one for riding lessons.

By the end of the 1980s the site had been sold, and the current houses built.

Often close by to stables would be a coach house. A coach house is an outbuilding which was originally built to accommodate horse drawn carriages and the related tack. They were situated along a coaching route at which horses were changed.

In the UK the farm buildings were also called cart sheds. These typically were open fronted, single story buildings, with the roof supported by regularly spaced pillars. They often faced away from the farmyard and may be found close to the stables and roadways, giving direct access to the fields.

In the modern day, where motor vehicles are used, there is little need for horse drawn carriages and subsequently the buildings used to house them. Whilst many coach houses have fallen into disrepair, many have been converted into other uses such as workshops, retail shops, bars, restaurants, storage buildings or holiday rentals. Many of these conversions however have maintained the name of the coach house regardless of their current use.

In Portslade Old Village, the old coach house sits behind Alma Cottage in South Street. This late 19th century building is now in light industrial use.
By Russell Morgan
And there's more.....
The rise and fall of the stagecoach 
The first stagecoach route started during 1610 in Scotland. Travel was slow, uncomfortable and often dangerous.

In 1754, a company in Manchester began a new service called the “Flying Coach”, which it claimed would travel from Manchester to London in just four and a half days. A similar service began from Liverpool three years later, using coaches with the new steel spring suspension. These coaches reached the great speed of 8 miles an hour and completed the journey to London in just three days.

The Regency period saw great improvements in coach design and road construction, leading to greater speed and comfort for passengers. For example, in 1750 it took around 2 days to travel from Cambridge to London, but by 1820 the journey time had been slashed to under 7 hours.

This was the golden age of the stagecoach. Coaches now travelled at around 12 miles per hour, with four coaches per route, two going in each direction with two spare coaches in case of a breakdown.

However, the development of the railways in the 1830s had a huge impact on the stagecoach. Stage and mail coaches could not compete with the speed of the new railways. Soon the mail was travelling by rail and, by the mid 19th century, most coaches travelling to and from London had been withdrawn from service.
By John Shepherd
Next stop: Emmaus. Take a right, walk up the road for about 50 metres, and go through the gates. Beware of cars turning. 
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