Mews

Mews are usually located in desirable residential areas, having been built to cater for the horses, coachmen and stable-servants of prosperous residents.

[1] The 18th-century Washington Mews in Greenwich Village, New York City matches the London buildings in period, purpose and name.

The mews had horse stalls and a carriage house on the ground floor, and stable servants' living accommodation above.

The advantage of the British system was that it hid the sounds and smells of the stables away from the family when they were not using the horses.

The word mews is not used for large individual non-royal British stable blocks, a feature of country houses.

Contemporary movements to revitalise and creatively re-use historical and traditional features of urban environments have also cast some appreciative light on mews.

[6] The survey classified an "Authentic Mews" property as "A property in a Mews – a lane, alley, court, narrow passage, cul de sac or back street originally built behind houses in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries to provide access for stables or coach house accommodation (often with associated living accommodation) – that is now most likely to be a modernised residential dwelling, possibly with commercial premises.

The East Village Redevelopment Plan for Calgary, Alberta, Canada, explains that "Mews are narrow, intimate streets that balance the access and service functions of a lane with active building frontages, accessory uses, and a street space shared by cars and pedestrians.