We’ve been so impatient to share our plans, but we needed to know they were achievable and ready to submit to Richmond Council before we did. We love our architect’s vision for the refurb and we hope you’ll share our excitement!

Sam Kamleh from local Teddington architects Architecture:WK has worked closely has worked closely with us to make our dreams for the stables one big step closer to reality.

It was important to us that the new plans respect the old building (and our neighbours in this residential street), so the exterior will look like a cleaner, sharper version of the original, without being taller or wider. The ‘wall of bricks’ donated by 1200 supporters during our fundraising campaign will be a prominent feature and lasting legacy of the building’s story.

Inside we’re retaining the ‘cuddle door’ that came to mean so much to so many during lockdown, and providing more comfortable stables for the horses that will return here.

“Despite the glorious history of our stables in Teddington, the building was not built with horse welfare and humans with additional needs in mind and it is therefore critical we modernise”, explains Natalie O’Rourke.

The cottage that was home to Natalie and her family is being replaced with a quiet and light communal area, and we look forward to welcoming many of you here for a cup of tea and a pony cuddle in the future. Our therapy rooms will be here too.

What happens next?

We expect to need planning permission before we can start work realising these plans in bricks and mortar, but we are confident that these are plans that should do Teddington and our neighbours proud.

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