Tofrek Barrack, Brock Barracks

SU 67 SE READING OXFORD ROAD (south side) 934/16/10017 Tofrek barrack, Brock barracks

GV II

Soldier's barrack. 1877, designed at the War Office by Major HC Seddon RE, supervising engineer Major Flint RE. Red brick with yellow brick sill and lintel bands, moulded brick ground-floor heads and stone first-floor heads truncated and gable, rear lateral and ridge stacks and tiled roof. PLAN: single-depth rooms each side of central dogleg stair. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys; 8:3:8-window range. A symmetrical range with yellow sill and lintel bands and moulded brick band below window heads, coped end gables on moulded kneelers, similar paired central gables with paired windows, the upper ones with a 2-centre arched tympanum with patterned brick infill, flanking an arched entrance beneath a brick balustrade. TOFREK inscribed over the entrance. Rear has matching windows with a pair of ablution bays to the centre. INTERIOR: has former dormitories either side of a central dogleg stair. HISTORY: an example of a standard design for the Localisation depots, applied by the local engineer officer. The Cardwell reforms redistributed barracks around the country to encourage local connections, and assist recruitment. Included as part of, with Bodmin, one of the two most complete surviving depots. (Watson CoJonel Sir HM I-listory ofth, Corps of Royal Engineers: Chatham. 1954-: 157-1 ()a).

Listing NGR: SU6931573646