The Keep And Flanking Wings, Norton Barracks

The Keep and Flanking Wings at Norton Barracks comprise a former armoury, guard house, store, and married quarters, now converted into flats. The buildings were constructed in 1877, designed at the War Office by Major H C Seddon RE, and subsequently converted in 1994. They are built of brick with stone dressings, featuring brick axial stacks, lateral stacks to the central keep, and a hipped slate roof, all executed in a Fortress Greek Revival style.

The plan consists of a square central keep, containing a ground-floor guard room and a store above, flanked by double-depth ranges. The keep is three storeys with a basement, while the flanking ranges are two storeys with a basement. The building has a 3:9:3:5:3:6:2:3-window range. The central entrance block is distinguished by corner towers set forward and pseudo-machicolations to a crenellated parapet. Flush 19th-century and lintel bands, along with an eaves cornice, are also present. A central segmental archway features a moulded arch, a small doorway to the left with a shouldered lintel, a label mould, narrow windows, and 6/6-pane sash windows to the first floor of the centre and the right-hand tower. A canted, corbelled oriel with rifle slits is located to the left of the left-hand tower. The flanking ranges incorporate 1-, 2- and 3-light windows. End cross ranges are characterised by crow-stepped gables set forward, with the right-hand cross range having a projecting parapeted section set forward to the left. The rear elevation is similar, with the north range featuring two crenellated two-storey porches with steps leading up to round-arched entrances beneath tripartite windows.

The interior includes axial corridors, basement lock-ups, and a fire-proof keep with cantilevered dogleg stairs featuring cast-iron balusters. The central rooms have jack-arch ceilings. Originally, the Keep served as a secure store for arms and equipment, also functioning as the guard house for the barracks, and was a characteristic feature of the Localisation depots. These depots were constructed as part of the Cardwell army reforms, which aimed to strengthen the connection between regiments and their localities to assist recruitment. Initially part of a parade square and barracks complex, including married quarters, it is one of only ten surviving examples of this symbolic building.