Former St Mary's drill hall

Former St Mary's Drill Hall

This drill hall was built in 1889 by architect W H Mitchell for the 1st Hampshire Artillery Volunteers. A rifle range was added in 1905. The building was remodelled as a sports hall in the 1970s.

The structure is constructed in red brick laid in Flemish bond with stone dressings and slate roofs. The original slate roofs have been replaced with modern artificial slates, except for the drill hall which now has a replacement sheet metal roof. Most fenestration has been replaced with uPVC glazing.

The building comprises a two-storey administration range with a three-storey central tower fronting St Mary's Road. Behind this stands the single-storey drill hall with an internal gallery, later extended when the building was converted to a sports centre. A two-storey rifle range runs along the south side of the hall, adjoining the neighbouring building. Various single-storey flat-roofed ancillary blocks stand to the rear of the drill hall.

The principal west elevation is built in Tudor revival style. The two-storey administration range spans six bays, with the rifle range adding three additional bays at the southern end. Fenestration comprises tall narrow windows grouped in threes with continuous heads and sills. Those on the ground floor and upper storey of the tower have square heads, while those on the first floor have pointed heads.

The entrance is marked by a slightly projecting three-storey castellated tower. The main door has a stone surround with a four-centred arch, bearing the date '1889' in relief in the spandrels. An octagonal stair turret on the south-west corner of the tower rises from corbelled eaves and projects beyond the crenellated parapet. The pitched roof line is enlivened by a pair of pitched dormers with barge-boards, a decorative chimney stack at the north end, and a fenestrated gable with another stack to the south. The gable bears a ball finial and a round plaque displaying the Arms of the City of Southampton. A foundation stone set into the southern end of the plinth is dated '1889'.

The rifle range elevation is similar in style but symmetrical, with large square windows. A narrow projecting central bay contains an entrance with a plain stone head and an arched first floor window. Above the window is a date stone with arched coping, set between brick piers and bearing the date '1905' and a lozenge with the city's Arms. The range has a hipped roof with replacement slates behind a corbelled parapet. Cast-iron rainwater goods feature a hopper with a sunburst design.

The north elevation along Clovelly Road consists of the gable end of the administration range, which is blind except for a probably later window in the apex, and the side elevation of the drill hall. This is single-storey, divided by ten bays of brick pilasters, and originally appears to have been blind but has had a number of windows and a cargo door with metal roller-doors inserted at a later date.

The interior contains a large drill hall measuring approximately 46 metres long by 23 metres wide. Originally it had an L-shaped gallery at the western end adjoining the administration range. The gallery, with open timber balustrading at both ground and upper level, originally extended as far as a canted two-storey internal timber bay, now lost. The gallery has been retained but extended along the south side of the hall, continuing at the east end adjoining inserted squash courts. The western end of the gallery, with timber supports, brackets, and timber staircases either side of the main entrance, has been retained. However, the open balustrade of the gallery and the stick balusters of the stairs (except on the top landings) have been replaced with timber panels. The fenestration and doorways from the administration range and western end of the rifle range, originally consisting of arched and mullion and transom openings, have been considerably altered, though some original joinery survives. The south wall originally had a small timber balcony reached by steps for the drill instructor, now removed. The roof structure of metal trusses appears original with some modern strengthening.

Stone plaques on the west wall either side of the stairs record the founding of the 1st Hampshire Artillery Volunteers and the opening of the building in 1890, and the foundation date of 17 August 1889, with the names of architect W H Mitchell and builder Jonas Nichols. Another stone plaque on the south wall, mounted on corbels, depicts a cannon and records the opening of the 1905 extension on 29 April 1905, with the names of architects Lemon and Blizard and builder W Jupe.

The ground and first floors of the administration range have been modernised and subdivided with later 20th-century partitions. The closed-string stairs with turned balusters, newel posts and handrails are the principal survival of original fittings. The original layout of the second floor, probably originally caretaker accommodation, survives along with the original doors.

The rifle range has been subdivided by later partitioning for offices and stores on both floors, but the original arms store on the ground floor remains.