Fort Monckton: The Former Officers' Mess

The Former Officers’ Mess, built around the early 19th century with additions made in the early 20th century, is constructed of red brick in Flemish bond and stone dressings, some of which are rendered. The building’s plan is cruciform, formed by an early 19th century rectangular range joined to an early 20th century T-shaped range to the north. A lean-to and flat-roofed toilet block are attached to the west, a lean-to porch to the east, and a small gabled addition extends to the north.

The early 19th century building, oriented north-south, is a two-bay-wide and four-bay-long rendered gabled range adjoined by a lower three-bay-long red brick gabled range built into the cross-wing of the later 20th century building. The rendered south range has a plinth, angle pilasters, and six-over-six round-headed sash windows with horns. A round-headed doorway with a transom light is located in the first bay of the east elevation. The roof is slate with stone copings and a chimney stack with a clay chimney pot at the apex of the south wall. The lower adjoining brick range has round-headed sash windows with gauged brick arches and a slate roof. The west side features two round-headed sashes and the flat-roofed early 20th century toilet block. The east side has the main doorway, sheltered by a lean-to porch set into the southeast angle of the cross-wing.

The early 20th century range, constructed of red brick in Flemish bond, presents an irregular composition attached to the north of the earlier building in a T-shape, including a gabled cross-wing and a gabled north wing. Both have slate roofs, brick copings to the gables, and corbelled red brick chimney stacks with clay chimney pots. The cross wing is three bays wide with three round-headed sashes in the east elevation and one in the west. A toilet block with a flat roof, constructed of red brick, is set into the southwest angle with the earlier range and is blank aside from a doorway containing a timber door with a door light. The north wing is six bays long and four bays wide with a mix of round-headed and square-headed sash windows. A two-bay lean-to with square-headed sashes extends from the west wall, and a small gabled addition with square-headed sashes is located at the north. The interior has not been inspected.