Restoration of the Georgian Grade II* listed stables and conversion to provide exhibition and public interpretation space, residential accommodation and a warden’s flat. Gibside was mainly the work of coal baron George Bowes, part of his scheme to create the epitome of an 18th Century English estate. In the early eighteenth century he decided to build a stable block arranged around a courtyard, departing from the usual style of the time where stables would be built as a wing attached to the house. The previous owner of the stables lived in a forty-seater bus in the courtyard and had converted some of the buildings into a piggery. The south wing and north east corner were in a highly dangerous state of collapse, caused by previous intensive fire damage and sustained water penetration, damp and rot. The project was highly complex, involving sophisticated fire engineering to suit the mix of public and private use. The approach adopted was to hold back from full restoration, to ensure that the original atmosphere, character and imagery was not lost. The project was delivered on time, within budget and to an extremely high standard, and in 2006 Waring and Netts work on the Stables won a Civic Trust Commendation.