Main Barrack Block And Attached Area Railings, St George'S Barracks

The main barrack block and attached area railings at St George's Barracks in Gosport were built between 1856 and 1859 and are now used as offices. Constructed from yellow stock brick with stone dressings and a stucco front, the building features lateral stacks at each end and in the center of a flat roof. It is a single-storey structure with a semi-basement and consists of a 70-bay range. The long, regular front has a full-length verandah on both levels, supported by concrete piers beneath the ground floor landing and cast-iron columns above, leading to a concrete flat roof. Dogleg stairs provide access to both levels at 6-bay intervals. The doorways are adorned with rubbed brick flat arches and overlights, with 6-panel doors flanked by pairs of 6/6-pane sashes. The rear of the building also features sashes on both levels.

Inside, the space is plain with later divisions, but the former barrack rooms, which accommodated approximately 12 men, still retain original fittings, including locations for rifle butts and some fireplaces. The building is complemented by attached cast-iron railings with panels featuring diagonal bars, located on both levels of the verandah and at the rear.

Historically, this barrack block is significant as it is the only example in the country of a highly developed design that combines cross-lit rooms with an external verandah, addressing criticisms of older barracks made by contemporary reformers. The verandah was intended for use during wet weather exercises. Built after the Crimean War, the barracks served as a transit station for infantry and were designed to be bomb-proof against mortar attacks due to their location just inside the Gosport Lines. This structure is unique in its type and forms a complete group with the Lines earthworks, highlighting Gosport's strategic importance in the defenses surrounding the Portsmouth dockyard.