Guard House And Attached Wall, Wyvern Barracks

SX 9391 871/15/10022

EXETER, TOPSHAM ROAD (North East side), Guard House and attached Wall, Wyvern Barracks

GV II

Formerly known as: Topsham Barracks TOPSHAM ROAD. Stable and guard house, with attached wall, now lock up and store. 1800-1804, for the Ordnance Board, extended late C19-early C20. Flemish bond brick with local red conglomerate base, English bond extension, with a slate hipped roof. PLAN: single-depth former stable with rear extension. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys; 4-window range, with single storey 2:3-window rear side range. Front 2-storey former stable has small segmental-arched cell lights, with 2 more to the first floor either side of a central 6/6-pane sash in the raised upper section; right-hand return has a cantilevered granite external stair to a first-floor doorway. Lower rear extension has projecting 3-window section fronted by an iron 4-bay verandah with 3 wide segmental-arched metal-framed windows above. INTERIOR: contains original cells with heavy doors. SUBSIDIAR Y FEATURES: attached high brick wall on squared conglomerate stone base enclosed former exercise yard to the SW; with a blocked entrance from the street. HISTORY: shown on mid C19 plan as officers' stable, with the later lock-up an important functional element within the barracks. Part of the former Topsham barracks, the most complete small artillery barracks of the Napoleonic War with France. Included for its historical interest with the Headquarters building and former Royal Artillery Drivers' barracks (qqv). (James Colonel H: Plan of Artillery Barracks Exeter: 1813-1866).

Listing NGR: SX9329891247