LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton

LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Lichfield

LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Soho and Perry Barr

Curzon Street Goods Station: lnwrcs2141

Fourth interior view of the top floor of the infirmary stable block at the back of Top Yard 30 years after the last horse left. Richard Foster writes, 'The older stable blocks in the top yard were conventional single-storey structures opening on to a stable yard, whilst some of the later blocks had stable accommodation on the upper floor. Each stable was divided into bays, which were themselves divided by wooden partitions. Each bay housed several horses which were kept loose, but separated by loose ropes and boards. In the case of difficult or sick horses, the men had to be careful about going into the bays to attend the horse because they could easily be kicked or bitten. The carters tended to work with the same horse so that a working relationship could be built up: those animals were usually the best and most reliable. The carter was responsible for preparing his own horse and harnessing it, and also for looking after his harness, keeping it properly waxed (to keep the leather soft) and the brasses polished'. It was often the case that the carter would arrive a little earlier in order to give himself a little more time to spend with the horse. In many instances the carter's family got to know the horse too. Richard recounts that the relationship between horse and man could on occasion almost be human, 'One carter who had a particularly close relationship with his horse would occasionally, in a slack moment, have a game of hide and seek with the animal in the yard - he would dodge between the pillars, the horse thoroughly enjoying the game of coming round looking for him.

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