Basic Coaching Inn Plans

[Cubs]

  This is a set of plans based around a DIY coaching inn that appeared in Wargames Illustrated many moons ago, slightly altered and scribbled out oldschool style in actual pen and paper (remember that?), I banged it up and painted it into a functional and fun, but hardly flawless little model (named 'The Lazy Fox Inn', after my wife) close on 20yrs ago, on a removable base. It's just cardboard with textured paper for the brickwork and cobbles and I didn't bother doing the half-timber effect in the upper storey, which should be easy to achieve with card strips. The gate, sign and chimney are balsa with wood and wire scraps. I did it in 1/72 scale (the photo I took is with a 28mm model to show how you can use it on the battlefield with different scales) on A4 graph paper, but obviously you can scale it up or down as you see fit.





  I foolishly offered them up to our very own expert model-maker OSHIROmodels who very politely took them by finger and thumb and gently suggested I share them here instead. As you can see, they're kind of basic, great for customising (add more chimneys, expand the stables, put up a sign, lots of fun to be had) and I hoped someone on here may get some use from them, if only as a base from which to improve. A coaching inn is a timeless building really and can cover periods from late medieval to present day.





  I include the photo of my finished model so you can laugh at my model making skills and see how it all fits together. The sides of the inn and front/back walls are fairly obvious (the big blank square in the middle is the tunnel) and the bit with the dotted line is the tunnel wall section (with connecting door to side ground floor rooms) that folds over into an arch. In hindsight, looking at my old model, the thatch on the stables doesn't really work and it should possibly have more chimneys over the other end (them rooms in the smaller wing will be mighty cold otherwise) but you can play about the basic shell in a number of ways.

[OSHIROmodels]

who very politely took them by finger and thumb and gently suggested I share them here instead

Bit harsh 

[Cubs]

Bit harsh 

Well, you were kind about it, but in hindsight perhaps forcing egg-sucking instructions on you may not have been as helpful as I hoped it would be!

[OSHIROmodels]

No bother at all, you never know 

[fred]

Nice looking coaching inn - especially from such a basic start!

I take it on the plans that each piece is separate, its not a 3D net that folds up is it?

[Cubs]

Nice looking coaching inn - especially from such a basic start!

I take it on the plans that each piece is separate, its not a 3D net that folds up is it?

No, you literally stick it to card and cut them out. The only bit slightly net-like is the tunnel section.

[fred]

Ta, thought that was the case - but was going slightly cross-eyed trying to work it out!

[Cubs]

Yeah, I only did it pen and ink back in the day for my own use, so it's bereft of useful labels! The inn building is on the first photo - 2 side walls of the inn are on the left, with the tunnel section below, front and back walls of the inn are on the right. Second photo is the stables and the finished model photo shows how they fit together.

[Bearwoodman]

I think it looks great, and as you say, very versatile.

I note the source of inspiration for the name of your establishment, but isn't the beast pictured on the sign the fox from the Gruffalo?

[Codsticker]

Very useful plans- thank you for sharing them.

[majorsmith]

That’s really good! The smaller scale seems to fit well with the 28mm figure too.

[Cubs]

I note the source of inspiration for the name of your establishment, but isn't the beast pictured on the sign the fox from the Gruffalo?

No, I just made it up. My nickname for MrsCub is Fox (because she's little, cute and a redhead) and when we went on our first holiday together (to Tenerife) there was a pub called the Lazy Fox.

[sukhe_bator]

I bit off rather more than I could chew with my Westerosi version of an inn based loosely on the footprint of the Mermaid Inn at Rye. I've yet to do the wooden gallery and stairs (based a little on The George in Southwark and Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick) at the rear and the adjoining stables... it proved too ambitious for one summer. Maybe this summer I'll get to finish it off

[Cubs]

Luverly. Something about a coaching inn is just so appealing. I used to go to 'The Bell' pub in Swindon, which was an old coaching inn (the stables supplied good parking for all the bikers).

[sukhe_bator]

I love the finish on 'The Lazy Fox' and the small details such as the sign board and different surface textures and the walled courtyard look great too. 'The Lazy Fox' benefits from being a Post-Medieval build in that you can use brickwork etc.

I'm hoping to incorporate some decorative newels and balustrades on the wooden gallery of my 'Three Crowns' as well as some brick footings. The main build though relied heavily on designing the exterior wood framing around the internal spaces. The concept is the kitchens are to the left of the gateway and will have an abutting brick or stone chimney. The refectory is on the first floor above as in most monastic buildings. The main wing has an ale house to the front with services behind and two floors of rooms above including fancy ones with bay windows and smaller ones in the roofspace with dormer windows accessed from the staircase at the rear.