Have your say
The StoryThe BuildingWho We AreCommunityThe VisionWhat's Next

Gifted by William Mathieson · 1932

The Stables,Horsforth Hall Park

From one generation to another, helping restore the last historic building of Horsforth Hall Park as a place for connection, creativity and community.

Have your say
My greatest hope in making the gift was that the estate would be a blessing to every individual resident of Horsforth; a place of refuge, of ease and comfort, to the present generation, and those yet to be.
William MathiesonOn gifting the estate to Horsforth, 1932

Traces of the Past

A public park, gifted to Horsforth

The last owner of Horsforth Hall, William Mathieson, gifted the estate to the people of Horsforth. The Stables is the last remaining building of that estate, known today as Horsforth Hall Park.

Through thoughtful conservation and design, Friends of Horsforth Hall Park seek to redesign a long-neglected heritage building as a place for connection and creative opportunity for future generations, while honouring the gift of the park and buildings to the residents of Horsforth.

The 1932 plaque recording the gift of the Hall and Park by William Mathieson
Exterior of the stables and coach house with green arched doors
A weathered 1707 datestone carved into the stonework
Blocked brick opening beside a green door
Blocked stone panel marking a former opening

The Stables & Coach House

A building worth saving

Built as part of Horsforth Hall in the early eighteenth century, the surviving stables and coach house are the last physical link to a site that has served generations of residents, from their origins as part of the Stanhope estate. Throughout the building, traces of different periods remain visible, from early stonework and carved details to the 1932 gift plaque and later repairs.

Blocked fireplace that once heated the tack room for grooms and stable hands
Former tack room, now used to store tools against the stone walls
Hidden arches revealing earlier routes through the stables
A former corridor, now enclosed, with later fittings

The Stables

Over time the stables were adapted to meet changing needs. Original openings, fireplaces and circulation routes have been enclosed, altered or concealed: clues to the building's past and opportunities for restoration.

Original timber roof structure, exposed rafters and trusses
Change of material between red brick and stone inside the coach house
Original arched openings behind later timber boarding
Signs of erosion on the coach house stonework

The Coach House

Originally built to house horse-drawn carriages, part of a wider complex of stables, workshops and service spaces. Surviving features retain a wealth of historic fabric: original timber roof structure, arched openings and evidence of later repairs.

Exposed services and joists across a damaged ceiling
Decayed and weathered timber structure
Water damage and staining in a corner of the building
Damaged ceiling and damp in an enclosed room

Signs of deterioration

Years of limited maintenance have left visible signs of decline: water ingress, damp staining, biological growth, timber decay and masonry loss. These conditions highlight the urgent need for conservation and sensitive repair to secure the building's future.

Historical development of Horsforth Hall Estate

From the Domesday Book to the present day. Buildings, boundaries and facilities have evolved, while the surviving stables and historic pathways remain enduring traces of the site's history.

Illustrated timeline of Horsforth Hall Park from 1066 to 2025, charting the estate from the Domesday Book through the Stanhope hall, the 1932 Mathieson gift, and the park's development to the present day

Scroll the timeline sideways to explore it.

From estate to public park

This series of maps traces the park's evolution between 1890 and today. Buildings, boundaries and facilities have changed, while the surviving stables and historic pathways remain enduring traces of the site's story.

  • Alteration removals
  • Buildings remaining
  • Structures added
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park in 1890
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park in 1900
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park in 1920
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park in 1930
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park in 1950
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park in 1960
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park in 1970
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park in 2015
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park in 2026
1890

At the heart of Horsforth

The stables sit within walking distance of schools, community facilities, local shops and residential areas, well placed to serve a diverse range of park users and the wider community.

Plan of Horsforth Hall Park with the stables highlighted
Plan of Horsforth Hall Park (not to scale)

Who We Are

Friends of Horsforth Hall Park

Restarted in 2019 to mend play equipment and fund a defibrillator so a junior parkrun could run on Sundays. Since then FOHHP has grown into an active charity working for the park and the wider community.

  • Community Garden
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Education & Play
  • Skatepark
  • Mathieson Stables Trust
£35k+raised for the park
£40k+in volunteer hours
7 & 5trustees & subgroups

Mathieson Stables Trust

Formed by residents concerned for the neglected stable buildings and the wish for enhanced recreational facilities. The Mathieson Stables Trust is currently operating as a sub group of the Friends of Horsforth Hall Park. We aim to formalise our independent trust status once we have completed the feasibility study.

As a group we aim to:

  1. Create a park accessible and inclusive for all ages and abilities.
  2. Establish a space free from religious and political affiliation.
  3. Maximise the park's usability by reducing weather dependency.
  4. Provide flexible indoor facilities for year-round use.
  5. Become a central space for all groups within the park.
  6. Connect the community with nature.
  7. Offer education focused on climate change, nature and wellbeing.

Community engagement

What Horsforth told us it wants

When asked to rank their motivations, respondents valued preserving local heritage most, with strong support for practical, inclusive facilities that make the Stables a welcoming community space.

Potential uses for the Stables: community survey responses

Café206
Public Toilets194
Arts & Crafts Workshops123
Events Space111
Youth Space109
Sports (padel / pickleball / table tennis)97
Educational Classroom74
Co-working Space54
Soft Play Area47
Other10

In their words

A recurring theme: the need for a safe, welcoming youth space, somewhere young people can spend time (including evenings), access wellbeing and mental-health support, and take part in creative arts, music, rehearsal and small performance or recording. Alongside family-focused ideas (baby changing, a toddler area, better playground visibility) and an overall wish for a welcoming community space run for community benefit, with inclusive access and profits reinvested locally.

QR code linking to the Horsforth Hall Park community surveyHave your say

Neighbouring ventures

Proven models nearby

Successful social enterprises across Leeds show what a community-run heritage space can become. We're drawing on them as case studies.

HEART, Headingley

HEART

Headingley

A community venture (2011), run by the community for the community.

  • Rooms for hire
  • Events & film
  • Weddings / wakes
  • Co-working
  • Yoga & wellbeing
  • Café
Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton

Seven Arts

Chapel Allerton

An independent arts space set up by local residents.

  • 100-seat venue
  • Film, theatre, dance, music
  • Café bar
  • Local & regional talent
Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley

Sunny Bank Mills

Farsley

An independent arts space and creative community.

  • Contemporary art gallery
  • Studio artist community
  • Creative courses
  • Bars & eateries
Kirkgate Community Centre, Shipley

Kirkgate Community Centre

Shipley

A community and social action centre.

  • Independent art studio
  • Courses
  • Café
  • Events
HEART, Headingley

HEART

Headingley

A community venture (2011), run by the community for the community.

  • Rooms for hire
  • Events & film
  • Weddings / wakes
  • Co-working
  • Yoga & wellbeing
  • Café
Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton

Seven Arts

Chapel Allerton

An independent arts space set up by local residents.

  • 100-seat venue
  • Film, theatre, dance, music
  • Café bar
  • Local & regional talent
Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley

Sunny Bank Mills

Farsley

An independent arts space and creative community.

  • Contemporary art gallery
  • Studio artist community
  • Creative courses
  • Bars & eateries
Kirkgate Community Centre, Shipley

Kirkgate Community Centre

Shipley

A community and social action centre.

  • Independent art studio
  • Courses
  • Café
  • Events

The Vision

An accessible arts, enterprise & community space

To provide Horsforth with an accessible arts, enterprise and community space, complete with amenities that support creativity, learning, wellbeing and social connection, including a much-needed café and toilets, delivered in a way that is financially and environmentally sustainable.

Line drawing of the Stables building at Horsforth Hall Park

Sustainable build

Inspired by sustainable possibilities

The completed conversion will be designed to be environmentally and financially sustainable. Explore the choices around the dial.

Sustainable by design

The conversion is built to be environmentally and financially sustainable.

Select a feature to see how

Leeds Beckett University

Ideas for what the Stables could become

The Stables is a live project on the 2025/26 interior architecture syllabus at Leeds Beckett University. These are exploratory student concepts, not the final design.

Separation as Connection, a student concept by Delta Freeman, Leeds Beckett University

Separation as Connection

Concept design by Delta Freeman, Leeds Beckett University, used with permission

A contemporary steel frame inserted within the historic Stable Block, supporting a new roof and a fully insulated, hireable space clad in ash timber, hovering above the historic fabric, with an elevated viewing platform at tree height. Deconstructable without affecting the historic site.

Nurture Nature, a student concept by Nia Walker, Leeds Beckett University

Nurture Nature

Concept design by Nia Walker, Leeds Beckett University, used with permission

A terrarium concept bringing plant life into the unused buildings, letting the community take and enjoy a piece of the plant, echoing how the community garden first developed.

A Bond Beyond Words, a student concept by Olivia Bett, Leeds Beckett University

A Bond Beyond Words

Concept design by Olivia Bett, Leeds Beckett University, used with permission

Community spaces where everyone feels welcome, in particular neurodivergent children and young adults. A small goat farm, milking, ice-cream parlour, industrial kitchen, café, roof garden and public toilets, teaching life skills through cooking, service and animal care.

Between Past & Public, a student concept by Ivy Maples, Leeds Beckett University

Between Past & Public

Concept design by Ivy Maples, Leeds Beckett University, used with permission

Uses a physical registry of the site's traces (the line between nature and civilisation, public and private ownership) to drive a new functional intervention. With influence from embroidery and riso printing, the programme becomes a community craft space.

Separation as Connection, a student concept by Delta Freeman, Leeds Beckett University

Separation as Connection

Concept design by Delta Freeman, Leeds Beckett University, used with permission

A contemporary steel frame inserted within the historic Stable Block, supporting a new roof and a fully insulated, hireable space clad in ash timber, hovering above the historic fabric, with an elevated viewing platform at tree height. Deconstructable without affecting the historic site.

Nurture Nature, a student concept by Nia Walker, Leeds Beckett University

Nurture Nature

Concept design by Nia Walker, Leeds Beckett University, used with permission

A terrarium concept bringing plant life into the unused buildings, letting the community take and enjoy a piece of the plant, echoing how the community garden first developed.

A Bond Beyond Words, a student concept by Olivia Bett, Leeds Beckett University

A Bond Beyond Words

Concept design by Olivia Bett, Leeds Beckett University, used with permission

Community spaces where everyone feels welcome, in particular neurodivergent children and young adults. A small goat farm, milking, ice-cream parlour, industrial kitchen, café, roof garden and public toilets, teaching life skills through cooking, service and animal care.

Between Past & Public, a student concept by Ivy Maples, Leeds Beckett University

Between Past & Public

Concept design by Ivy Maples, Leeds Beckett University, used with permission

Uses a physical registry of the site's traces (the line between nature and civilisation, public and private ownership) to drive a new functional intervention. With influence from embroidery and riso printing, the programme becomes a community craft space.

Why Now

Current building usage

The stables are currently used by the council as a storage compound for heavy equipment, vehicles, chemicals and staff quarters. This raises serious concerns:

Heritage risk

A poorly maintained Grade II listed building in a conservation area.

Public safety

The compound sits close to the children's playground.

Shared access

Vehicles and heavy equipment share access with park users and young families.

Hazardous materials

Chemicals and fuel are stored within the compound.

Unsafe structures

Concerns about young people climbing the lean-to's corrugated roof.

Staff welfare

Current conditions raise health and safety concerns for council staff.

Underuse

The building is underutilised and unmanned for much of the day.

Deterioration

Minimal maintenance over many years has driven decline.

Inefficient public spend

Public money heats an uninsulated space.

Structural integrity

Stonework in the buildings and compound walls raises safety concerns.

Financial viability

The buildings may soon be beyond viable repair; the feasibility study will explore this.

The Mathieson Stables Trust believes that even if the council funded remediation, this would be a poor use of public money, unless the building is repurposed for the benefit of park users and the wider community, in line with the original intention of the bequest.

What's Next

How we'll achieve this vision

Our aim is for the Stables to become the focal point of Horsforth Hall Park, a cherished green space, home to historic buildings and a variety of recreational opportunities for the community. We are producing a business plan and will promote it widely to build support for a sustainable, inclusive future.

  1. 01Consult and engage with the community to gather feedback and strengthen local ownership.
  2. 02Conduct a comprehensive feasibility study to test options, costs, risks and long-term viability.
  3. 03Explore diverse funding streams: grants, community shares, crowdfunding and corporate sponsorship.
  4. 04Ensure the building is environmentally and financially sustainable for responsible long-term use.
  5. 05Build strong partnerships with local groups so the project responds to community needs.
  6. 06Support Leeds City Council's Best City Ambition by promoting health, wellbeing, inclusive growth and zero-carbon.

Support the Project

Help us bring the Stables back to life

Help us explore the future of the stable buildings and support our intention to undertake a community asset transfer:

  • Donate — watch this space!As the project progresses we would love your support. We'll be setting up a donation page soon.
  • Have your say

If you'd like to know more about Friends of Horsforth Hall Park: