Former Guardroom, Marine Gate The Gatehouse

The former guardroom, part of The Gatehouse at Royal Marines Eastney Barracks, was built around 1864. Designed by William Scamp, who was assistant director of the Admiralty Works Department, it was later converted into flats in 1997. The building is constructed of red brick in a Flemish bond pattern, with the rear and west gable surfaces rendered to resemble ashlar. It has ashlar dressings and a Welsh slate roof with brick stacks, which are rendered at the rear.

The guardroom is two storeys high and has nine bays, including a portico across the north side that links it to the main gate and perimeter wall. The portico features rusticated brick quoins and piers with arches. There is a plat band and stepped eaves, with ashlar pediments to the gables. The windows are segmental-arched, 12-pane sashes with stone sills. The entrances have board doors with overlights featuring glazing bars. The portico consists of seven bays connecting the guardroom to the gate, with two additional bays at each end, and has round-arched openings at the ends and segmental-arched openings in-between.

The interior contains a row of former cells at the rear, two of which retain their original, vented doors. The barracks’ design, close to the seashore, reflects its historical use by Marines and represents a late example of a large, defensible barracks built in the country – likely dating to the post-Crimean War period.