According to historical records, the stables were built in 1881, and were still operating when war broke out in 1939. An archive of WW2 memories includes the story of a stable fire in 1942, told by a local boy who was 17 at the time.
Ernest Walsh was sleeping in a brick shelter with his family during an air raid, when he heard his friend Ronnie banging on the door, shouting: “We’ve got to get round to the dairy, it’s been hit with about 20 incendiary bombs… and the horses are trapped next door”. The boys rushed to the dairy where they saw fire in the John Nodes stables next door and heard the horses in distress:
“Together with Ronnie and Uncle Bob, we climbed over the boundary wall… to find the door of the stable would not open! I threw a milk crate up, smashed the window and climbed in. An incendiary bomb was burning fiercely in the far corner of the stable.
I groped my way to the horse nearest to the burning canister. ‘Betsy’ was jumping about wildly. “Steady there girl" I said, "we’ll soon get you to safety”.
The fire seemed to be gaining hold… then suddenly the stable door crashed open! Betsy broke away from me and literally flew out of the door… and when we got to ‘Billy’s’ stall we placed a damp blanket over his head; leading him out to safety.”
When the fires were put out and the remaining horses rescued, Ernest’s response was “I could really murder a cup of tea”.