Plymouth

Artillery Drill Hall, Lambhay Hill
Mutley Barracks, Hyde Park road
Drill Hall, Prospect place, Millbay
Drill Hall, Millbay road

Head quarters, A-F Cos. 2nd Volunteer Battalion (Prince of Wales') Devonshire Regiment (Kelly, 1893)

Artillery Drill Hall, Lambhay hill:
Devonshire Royal Garrison Artillery, head quarters; Plymouth companies, No.3 & No.4

Designed by A Southcombe Parker FRIBA Architect, of 34 Bedford Street, Plymouth, plans drawn in November 1913 show an elegant building for the Fortress Engineers' new headquarters at Lambhay Green. The planning application was passed on 10th February 1914, but the headquarters were finally constructed four years later to plans by T. Rogers Kitsell.

We have included the architectural drawings that survive from 1917 in pdf format at both low resolution (0.843 kb download) and high resolution (8.5 kb download)

Mutley Barracks, Hyde Park road:
Devon & Cornwall Brigade Co. Wessex Divisional Transport & Supply Column, Army Service Corps; Head quarters.
Devonshire (Fortress) Royal Engineers, head quarters; Electric Light Companies: 4 & 5.
We understand that the site of the South Devon Militia's Mutley Barracks is now a car park.

Prospect place Drill Hall, Millbay:
Eyre's Directory 1894, refers to 2nd Volunteer Battalion's drill hall at Prospect place.
5th (Prince of Wales') Battalion Devonshire Regiment, Head quarters & Drill hall
Plymouth Head Quarter Companies, B & C.'
7th (Cyclist) Battalion Devonshire Regiment (G Co.)
The site of the Millbay Drill Hall on Prospect Row, West Hoe, was a former barracks building dating from the end of the 18th century. According to the Plymouth Data website*, it was designed by Lieutenant Pearse and cost £2000. Its dimensions were 260 feet long, 86 feet wide and 45 high. As well as its designated purpose, it was used for public meetings and exhibitions. Apparently 7000 people crowded in to hear Lloyd George in 1889.

Drill Hall, Millbay road:
2nd Wessex Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps; head quarters, A, B & C Sections
4th Southern General Hospital

Also:
ds 'C' Squadron Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry
Wessex Clearing Hospital
(Above references Kelly,1914)

General:
There is a very comprehensive set of pages on the army presence in Plymouth on the Plymouth Data website, which also has a history of the Volunteer Corps (We are grateful to Brian Moseley for permission to link to his webpages and *quote information thereon.)

The photographs of Lambhay Green Drill Hall were taken by Peter Hayward. He also supplied the images of the architectural drawings.We are very grateful to him.
Plymouth Lambhay
Plymouth Lambhay


Plymouth Lambhay
Plymouth Lambhay


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Plymouth Lambhay


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Plymouth Lambhay


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Plymouth Lambhay
Plymouth Lambhay
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the first attempt at content

The Drill Hall Project - Charting a neglected legacy