Site Event/Activity record ECH6556 - The Stable Yard, Tatton Park, Cheshire: Archaeological Evaluation

A programme of archaeological evaluation was undertaken in November 2017 within the western part of the Stable Yard, Tatton Park, in advance of proposed new build and resurfacing. The site comprised a number of estate buildings, dating between the late 18th and 19th centuries. These were arranged around the perimeter of a large courtyard, known as the Stable Yard. The buildings were comprehensively surveyed in 2016 (ECH6539). A total of ten trial pits were excavated, intended to evaluate the west part of the courtyard. A significant constraint were the numerous utility services and drains which cross the courtyard. The evaluation revealed that the yard area had been significantly truncated during the 1960s, when this part of the Stable Yard was converted to a coach parking area. However, a wall foundation was encountered in Trench 1, although had the 1960s truncation been just 70mm deeper, there would have been no trace of this feature. The footing, a loose mix of broken brick and lime mortar, was orientated north-south and 0.48m wide; it represents the earliest context encountered, dating to circa 1800. The footing most likely represents the remains of the Stable Yard's dividing wall and was aligned with a surviving section of wall at the south-west corner of the stable block. Brick sheds had been built against the west face of the boundary in the nineteenth century. These buildings were later modified when a new garage block was constructed directly to the east of the wall in the early twentieth century. Additionally, a research-based assessment was undertaken in November 2017 on similar historic courtyards where Samuel Wyatt was involved in the building design; the findings of this research are presented in a report (Tatton Park Stable Yard: Historic Yard Surfaces) which is included as an appendix to the evaluation report. (1)