Hornsea - East Riding

Back Southgate

East Riding of Yorkshire (1st) Royal Garrison Artillery (No. 5 Garrison Company) Headquarters - Back Southgate (Kelly, 1905)
'5th Territorial Force Battalion (5th) (Cyclist) East Yorkshire Regiment (H Co.); Drill hall, Back Southgate.' (Kelly, 1913) ds 'B' Squadron East Riding Yeomanry

Bulmer's 'History & Directory of East Yorkshire, 1892' states that, 'the Drill Hall (No. 3 Battery 1st East Riding of Yorkshire Artillery Volunteers, W D., R.A.) was built in 1884, and enlarged in 1890. It comprises large entrance hall, drill shed, parade ground, armoury, band, recreation, and store rooms, with residence for the instructor. There are two smooth bore ordnance guns - 32 pounders - mounted on garrison carriages. The company was formed in 1883, and is 50 strong.'

The British History Online website says that:

'The East Yorkshire Artillery Volunteers, which had a battery at Hornsea from c. 1860, built a drill hall in Back Southgate in 1884 and enlarged it in 1890.... The E.R. Territorial Army Association allowed the premises to be used rent-free by Hornsea Ex-Servicemen's Club from its foundation in 1920. The club bought the building in 1927 and later enlarged it further.'
Source: 'North division: Hornsea', A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 7: Holderness Wapentake, Middle and North Divisions (2002), pp. 273-295. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16153. Date accessed: 14 May 2008.




An old drill hall (servicemen's club) is shown on the 1989 street plan reproduced on the same page as the above quotation.

We understand that this drill hall is extant. The only possible building on Back Southgate is the Ex-Servicemen’s Club, but we are not able to be certain as there is nothing anything to show its past use. (May 2009). We would be grateful for photographic corroboration.
Photograph of Hornsea Drill Hall Front Elevation Oblique View
Front Elevation


Photograph of Hornsea Drill Hall Front Elevation Oblique View
Front Elevation


Photograph of Hornsea Drill Hall Rear Elevation
Rear Elevation
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the first attempt at content

The Drill Hall Project - Charting a neglected legacy