Concrete barrack block 1, Burgoyne Barracks, Shorncliffe Camp

Concrete barrack block No 1, dated 1880, at the former the Royal Engineers Barracks, later Burgoyne Barracks, at Shorncliffe Camp.

MATERIALS: rendered, mass concrete with later C20/early C21 slate composite roofs and uPVC eaves and fascias.

PLAN: single-storey block aligned approximately east-west, No 1 was the southernmost of four near identical blocks, blocks 2-4 dated 1881.

Originally laid out as soldiers’ quarters, divided into two large rooms with a separate NCO’s room adjacent to the entrance. Now storage, No 1 block retains this plan, including the NCO’s room (room 4) to the west of the entrance. It is linked to Block 2 to the north by a C20 ablutions block.

EXTERIOR Constructed of mass concrete, the proportions and architectural details are modelled on the brick and stone equivalents at other barracks, having concrete quoins and plinths imitating brick, stone or render, and round-arched or segmental-headed rendered window and door architraves and cills.

The east elevation has paired round-arched windows below a roundel inscribed RE with the date 1880 below. It is numbered, 1, within a lozenge-shaped panel between the windows; the first of four blocks, numbered consecutively from south to north. The west elevation replicates the east elevation, also having a roundel dated and inscribed RE 1880 and a numbered lozenge-shaped panel between the windows.

Block 1 retains its original six-over-six pane horned timber sashes on the east gable wall, the north elevation and on all but one of the south elevation windows. The west gable has replaced six-over-six pane horned timber sashes closely matching the original windows. According to the 1907 plan, this block had a near-central southern entrance, which has been enlarged. Other doorways on this elevation appear to replace original widow openings shown on the plan but they also have complete, rendered architraves.

The link corridor to the north, and the other three concrete barrack blocks, are not included in the listing.

INTERIOR Room 4, the NCO’s room, has an angle chimney breast; the fireplace opening has been rendered over; the stack removed above the roof. The original skylight structure in the passage is in place but roofed over. Block 1 has plain ceilings, compared with probably higher specification board and batten ceilings, that tend to denote officer use, in Blocks 3 and 4.