Royal Citadel Officers Quarters And Mess

Officers' quarters and a mess hall were constructed in 1895 as part of the Royal Citadel, designed by T Rogers Kitsell for the War Office. The buildings are constructed of dressed Plymouth limestone, with moulded dressings, hood moulds, and parapet strings. They feature dry slate roofs with coped gables, and dressed stone axial, gable, and lateral stacks with moulded cornices.

The buildings have a large, inverted F-shaped layout, with shallow projecting wings. A carriageway runs under the central mess room block, which is partially built into the earthwork perimeter of the citadel. The entrance block, three storeys high, has five bays with projecting gables flanking the central entrance. The principal second floor of the entrance block includes a dining room on the right and a smoking room on the left. The lower range to the right of the entrance block features a cross wing with a large, double-transomed four-light mullioned window. Other elevations exhibit similar detailing, with varied window types and sizes, all retaining their original glazing. The mess room includes a canted bay window providing a lookout, and external steps lead to a porch.

The interior retains significant original architectural detailing, including moulded plaster ceilings, doorcases with moulded architraves, marble chimneypieces with iron grates, and round arches connecting rooms. The mess room features a moulded chair rail and arches resting on consoles. The large dining room mirrors this detail and includes a plaster barrel ceiling. The main stair hall contains an open-well staircase with turned balusters over a closed string, while the rear staircase is a dog-leg design with slender turned balusters over an open string.

The Citadel had a garrison from the late 17th century. These quarters were rebuilt under the 1890 Barracks Act and represent a rare example of an architect-designed barracks, alongside Peninsula Barracks in Winchester. The buildings contained rooms for officers and their servants, a mess, and dining areas, designed to integrate with the Citadel’s 17th-century fortifications.