Okehampton Camp: Building 85 (formerly Dining Room 2)

This is a former dining room, now used as an accommodation block, built in 1894. It was designed by James Julian, who was a contractor for the War Office. The building is constructed of snecked slatestone blocks with brick quoins and brick window and door openings. Granite window cills are present, some of which have been rendered. The rear and side elevations have a cement render finish, while the roof is covered with Cornish slate tiles. Later additions, including a link corridor and ablutions annexe, are constructed of brick in stretcher bond. Modern uPVC fascias and rainwater goods are also present.

The building is aligned north-west to south-east and consists of a central bay projecting forward, flanked by set-back rectangular wings. Mid-20th century additions have been made to the side (south-east) and rear (south-west) elevations.

The principal, north-east-facing elevation features a gable-ended central bay with two window openings. A doorway with a brick surround is located on its south-east side. The wings on either side contain four bays, each with four windows at the front and rear. Exposed chamfered ends of the purlins are visible on the side elevations, and a mid-20th century lean-to addition with two window openings adjoins the south-east side. The rear elevation of the central bay features a central doorway flanked by windows. A mid-20th century link corridor to the front of the doorway and left-hand window connects to a single-storey ablutions annexe at the rear. Original window and door openings remain, although the doors are now aluminium and the windows have been replaced with uPVC double-glazing. Five brick chimney stacks have been removed.

Inside, each dining room wing has a chimney breast at the gable end and along the rear wall. The chimney breast in the west wing’s rear wall has stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops. The ceiling incorporates three chamfered beams with run-out stops and metal straps. A door has been inserted to the right of the chimney breast in the south-east wing to provide access to the lean-to addition. Internal doors are 20th century fire doors. While shutter fixings remain on the windows, the original shutters have been removed, along with fixtures and fittings from the former dining rooms, NCO’s room and Cook’s room. The roof structure is not visible but is believed to contain queen-post roof trusses.

The lean-to addition to the south-east end, the single-storey link corridor, and the ablutions annexe to the rear elevation are excluded from the listing as they are not considered to be of special architectural or historic interest.