Former Nelson Barrack

TQ7669NE 686-1/2/92

GILLINGHAM Pembroke CENTRAL AVENUE (south side) Former Nelson Barrack

(Formerly Listed as: CHATHAM CENTRAL AVENUE (South side), Chatham Maritime, 4 Barrack blocks, Genville, Anson, Nelson and Blake)

28/09/90

GV II Barracks, now offices and laboratories. c1902 by Sir Henry Pilkington. Red brick with Portland stone dressings, brick gable and ridge and lateral stacks and slate cross-gabled roof.

STYLE: Free Edwariam Baroque.

PLAN: single-depth axial.

EXTERIOR: three storeys with attics to end cross ranges; 25-bay range. Long symmetrical ranges have a plinth, banded rustication to a ground floor plat band, second floor impost band becoming corniced frieze on end gables, and a modillion eaves cornice, the eight bay intermediate ranges divided by shallow paired lateral tacks to the first and second floor with a central downpipe. Three bay end gables have clasping pilaster strips, with scrolled ends to raking coping, and thin lateral stacks flanking central windows to a tall gable stack with a central rib; deep, full-height central canted bay. Segmental-arched 6/6-pane sashes have large split keystones to ground and first floors, brick and stone voussoirs to the second; ground floor windows to the intermediate sections wider with side lights.

Return gables have an outer blind bay, with a central porch with blocked Tuscan columns to an entablature with NELSON in raised letters and a segmental pediment and a half-glazed double door, and a bay above with entablature and parapet, paired 4/4-pane sashes in a keyed architrave and 4/4-pane sashes to the sides; above is a round-arched 8/8-pane sash with architrave and brackets to a round-arched pediment set forward from the cornice over a cartouche with flanking fish.

Rear elevations plainer, with square latrine towers at each end with pyramidal roofs connected to the barrack by a ground floor arch and one-light range above. Good cast-iron dated hoppers and square downpipes. Roofs have banded ridge and lateral stacks, some truncated, with late C20 dormer louvres and air conditioning units.

INTERIOR: plain with axial corridors and stairs in ends and central projecting sections.

HISTORY: one of four matching barracks at the former HMS Pembroke, and part of a carefully planned group with the Officer's Mess, Captain's House, Motor Dept (qqv), and other ancillary buildings.

Listing NGR: TQ7670069540