Elevation of the main façade of the stable block for Styche Hall, Staffordshire for the 1st Baron Clive by leading architect and designer Sir William Chambers (1723-1796). The drawing is in an office hand. The stable block comprises a five-bay centre with two wings, each of three bays. It is of two storeys with a hipped roof. The wings which project forward of the main block are defined by quoins. The centre windows on the ground floor are emphasized with extra moulding. The roof of each wing has a bellcote with round-headed arch and surmounted by a ball finial. The double-height entrance in the centre of the façade is emphasized by being within a projecting plain arch, which is pedimented. The string course on the arch is decorated with a Vitruvian scroll, and the key stone with a grotesque mask.

Chambers was born in Sweden and died in London. He travelled widely, visiting China, and studied architecture at the Ecole des Arts, Paris, from 1749 and in Italy from 1750 to 1755. Many of his drawings from this period are contained in his important 'Franco-Italian' album, held in the V&A. Chambers moved to London in 1755 and published his influential Treatise on Civil Architecture in 1759. Chambers demonstrated the breadth of his style in buildings such as Gower (later Carrington) House and Melbourne House, London, in such country houses as Duddingston, Scotland, and in the garden architecture he designed for Wilton House, Wiltshire, and at Kew Gardens. He became head of government building in 1782, and in this capacity built Somerset House, London.