Former Bodmin Depot Hospital

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 29 September 2025 to amend the name, address and description due to a change in building use and reformat the text to current standards

SXO766 629-1/3/10006

BODMIN CASTLE CANYKE ROAD VICTORIA SQUARE Neon Nightclub Former Bodmin Depot Hospital

(Formerly listed as The Drum Major, former Bodmin depot, ST NICHOLAS STREET)

GV II Hospital on barracks; public house at time of listing. 1881, designed at the War Office by Major HC Seddon RE. Squared rubble with dressings, stone ridge and lateral side stacks with cornice, and slate roof

PLAN: double-depth administration and surgery range, with a single pavilion plan ward wing to south end.

EXTERIOR: two storeys and basement; 3:3-window range. Administration block has a symmetrical front with twin coped gables on moulded kneelers, ashlar cill and lintel bands and eaves cornice, and plain surrounds; central gabled porch with round-arched doorway and 4/4-pane sashes to the sides, two-light square mullions and transoms with 4/4-pane sashes, and central first-floor tripartite window. Similar ward block has tall windows with transoms, the end gable has a central tripartite window, with rear corner sanitary annexe with parapet and narrow transom windows.

INTERIOR: not inspected.

HISTORY: an example of a standard hospital design for the Localisation depots; a comparable example exists at Brock barracks, Reading (qv). The corner annexe was a characteristic feature of the pavilion plan hospitals.

The Cardwell reforms redistributed barracks around the country to encourage local connections and assist recruitment. It forms part of one of the two most complete surviving depots, with Reading (qv), unusual in being built of stone, and attached to the former Militia armoury (qv).

Listing NGR: SX0775666115