Former Hospital, Brock Barracks

SU 67 SE READING OXFORD ROAD (south side) 934/16/10013 Former hospital, Brock barracks

GV II

Barracks hospital. 1877, designed at the War Office by Mahor HC Seddon RE, supervising engineer Major Flint RE. Red brick with yellow brick bands, moulded brick heads and stone dressings; truncated ridge stacks and tiled cross-gable roof. PLAN: double-depth administrative N end and S ward with corner sanitary tower. EXTERIOR 2 storeys; 3:3-window range. An asymmetrical block with yellow sill and lintel bands and a moulded brick transom band, the administrative end has paired gables to the N and a cross gable each side, the ward range is gabled to the S, all coped on moulded kneelers; tall narrow windows with small-paned sashes, transoms and cambered heads Square sanitary tower to SE corner has narrow 4/4-pane sashes and a parapet with bracketed coping. Mid C20 extension to the side of the central W doorway, in the same style. INTERIOR: plain, the ward divided to form classrooms. HISTORY: an example of a Localisation hospital containing orderlies' rooms, offices and 2 cross-lit wards, built for the Reading Localisation depot. A standard single-ward adaptation of the pavilion plan, with the, characteristic sanitary annexe, for a brigade depot; compare with the more elaborate example at the former Norwich barracks. 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 Colone Sir HM: History of the Corps of Royal Engineers: Chatham: 1954-: 157-160).

Listing NGR: SU6930973583