Royal Marine Barracks East Barrack Block And Forecourt Railings

PLYMOUTH

SX4654SW DURNFORD STREET, Stonehouse 740-1/60/786 (East side) 01/05/75 Royal Marine Barracks: East Barrack Block and forecourt railings

GV II*

Formerly known as: N and E Blocks, Officers Mess, Dining Hall & Single Officer's Accom. DURNFORD STREET Stonehouse, R M Barracks. Barrack block at Marines barracks. 1781-83, built for the Ordnance Board by Templer & Parlby, and extended 1818 and c1860; rebuilt internally c1965. MATERIALS: Plymouth limestone rubble with limestone dressings; dry slate roofs with hipped ends and stone coping over cross walls (formerly with stone axial stacks). PLAN: very long rectangular single-depth plan plus taller square stair tower to rear left behind the northward extension of 12 bays. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys over basement; 12:3:10:5:10:3-bay range which was symmetrical prior to 1860 12-bay extension to the N. Original 5-bay pedimented central block and original 3-bay end blocks broken forward and with rusticated quoins; band above ground floor. Many early C19 hornless sashes with glazing bars, otherwise horned copies, all within plain stone architraves. Original doorway to centre of pedimented block, with blocked jambs and cornice, the other doorways central to each 5-window range within the 10-window ranges, doorways left and right of the 3-window ranges and approximately central to the extension on the left; overlights and planked doors. The doorways to the N extension have segmental-arched heads. A segmental-arched tunnel beneath the entrance cut through early C19. Rear of main range plain, N extension has 4 shallow projecting ablution towers to rear of transverse stairs, with rusticated quoins. INTERIOR: completely rebuilt c1965. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: late C19 latticed and scrolled wrought-iron railings surrounding forecourt and flanking steps. HISTORY: this is one of the earliest surviving barracks for a large unit of men in England. It is part of the only remaining barracks built for the three divisions of the Royal Marines after their formation in 1755. Originally contained 12 single-depth rooms separated by transverse stairs. The passage between the former officers' mess at the S end was built over in 1818. Stonehouse is the oldest and most important barracks

in England not forming part of a fortification, a rare example of C18 planning, and a complex of great historic value. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1989-: 655).

Listing NGR: SX4645054068