What direction to face stables?

[poiuytrewq]

Not sure if it's a silly question?! Ie- if it varies from area to area or anything!
I want to position them where the weather won't get in but not sure which direction would be best to face them.
I screwed up last time and had two perfect ones and one that every drop of rain went straight into! Que flooded beds everyone it rained! Keen not to make the same mistake!!!

 

[Meredith]

Perhaps so that the prevailing wind hits the back of the buildings.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I have 2 blocks facing each other.
1 backs to the south west, the other backs to north east.

Means the fronts have protection from the very worst of bitter winds but southern side is more shady in summer, the others are a little more snug in winter
Suits my yard layout

 

[Tern]

Mine is facing eat with the back to the west.

 

[NativePonyLover]

How would you know which way they are facing ...?! I'm intrigued by which way mine are facing, but no idea how I'd know

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

How would you know which way they are facing ...?! I'm intrigued by which way mine are facing, but no idea how I'd know

Have a look where the sun rises and sets, that will give you a rough clue without using a compass.

 

[WelshD]

Mine is facing eat with the back to the west.

mine are too, I find the wind hits them side on most of the time. I only get a handful of days a year when the wet or wind blow in the windows (no glass)

 

[NativePonyLover]

Thanks I hadn't thought of using a compass - god, I'm SO stupid at times!

The sun rises in the East, right? I'm going go look tomorrow - I'm intrigued now !

 

[Tern]

Okay.. maybe mine don't..

I thought it went

N ^
S >
E <
W down there.

I am going by that anyway.

 

[Malibu_Stacy]

NPL and Tern, I think you're about to make me cry! (Physics teacher with background in Astronomy)

Celestial objects (Sun, Moon, stars, planets etc) rise in the East and set in the West. Because we're in the Northern hemisphere the Sun travels on a path from East to West in the Southern half of the sky, hence why south facing gardens etc tend to be sunnier! The Suns path through the sky is higher during the summer months, reaching a peak at the summer solstice and its lowest during the winter solstice.

The compass directions imposed on a clock face would have North at 12, East at 3, South at 6 and West at 9. To work out the direction your stables face you could use an actual compass, download an app (there must be compass apps!) or check where the Sun rises/ sets and orient as appropriate. Or if your feeling adventurous and are around after dark you can use the Plough asterism to indicate where Polaris, the North Star, is

 

[Tern]

NPL and Tern, I think you're about to make me cry! (Physics teacher with background in Astronomy)

The compass directions imposed on a clock face would have North at 12, East at 3, South at 6 and West at 9. To work out the direction your stables face you could use an actual compass, download an app (there must be compass apps!) or check where the Sun rises/ sets and orient as appropriate. Or if your feeling adventurous and are around after dark you can use the Plough asterism to indicate where Polaris, the North Star, is

First of all I apologise.. I'd also make an awful pirate.

Going by your clock face because the rest of them don't make sense I am saying that me stables still face East.

 

[Malibu_Stacy]

First of all I apologise.. I'd also make an awful pirate.

Going by your clock face because the rest of them don't make sense I am saying that me stables still face East.

It's my secret skill, unless I'm driving, I don't tend to get lost

 

[Pearlsasinger]

It depends how many stables you are building, our buildings were already in situ when we bought this house, together with the house they form 31/2 sides of a square which means that the yard is very sheltered. The prevailing wind for most areas of UK is from the NW but often the worst snow comes from the east.

 

[Tern]

It's my secret skill, unless I'm driving, I don't tend to get lost

My sense of direction is awful.. I can remember the scenery but not which ways we turned.

 

[9tails]

Tern and npl have made me pee my pants laughing! This is a great thread! If I were building I reckon I'd like the stables facing west. Reasoning that they'd be cool in the morning and warm in the evening. Or maybe even south west.

 

[NativePonyLover]

It's my secret skill, unless I'm driving, I don't tend to get lost

If it makes you feel better, I once had to ask my boss how you can go clockwise or anti-clockwise around the M25, as surely you were either going up or down it ...

I've just found my iPhone has an inbuilt compass - I'm going to have a look tomorrow!

 

[WelshD]

Google Maps has a compass on the right hand side of the screen

 

[cobgoblin]

Ours face South East, so the sun is on the front of the stables for most of the day but not in the horses' faces as there is an overhang.
The prevailing wind is from the west, so hits the side , and really bad weather usually comes from the north, so hits the back. It's very rare for wind to blow directly into the stables. Whoever built them did a good job in placing them.

 

[FairyLights]

face them with the prevailing wind to the back or the side. Mine face north but I have a tall hedge in front and most weather comes from the west and some from the east where we are. in the summer they are cooler than they would ber if they faced south. THB if I was o do a re build I'd rotate slightly so they faced NNE. you have to look at your prevailing wind and weather patterns. you dont want blazing sunshine or driving blizzards getting in.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Okay.. maybe mine don't..

I thought it went

N ^
S >
E <
W down there.

I am going by that anyway.

But but but what way are you facing to begin with... You have to be facing North for North to be ^. And if North is ^ South has to be the opposite.

 

[eggs]

You do not want them to face into the prevailing wind (the direction that the wind blows from most often). A decent overhand will also help.