Former Weedon Barracks, East Magazine Of Series Of Four Magazines In Magazine Enclosure

This is one of four paired magazines built between 1807 and 1811 within the Magazine Enclosure at Weedon Bec. Constructed of Flemish bond brick on a rendered plinth, it features a chamfered sandstone top course and dentilled eaves courses to the side elevations, with stone-coped gables. The building has a rectangular plan, containing two vaulted chambers. The north and south elevations are double-gabled, with doorways centrally positioned on each, featuring segmental arches made of gauged brick. Original beaded six-panelled doors are present where intact; the doorways on the north elevation were widened in the late 20th century. Above each doorway is a ventilator with pulley-operated inner and outer shutters, incorporating iron outer frames and timber inner frames. The side elevations have perforated wrought-iron plates to the ventilators, which are baffled internally. The interior contains catenary arches to each chamber, along with some arched access doorways between.

The magazines represent part of a unique planned military-industrial complex, including a defensible transport system and surrounding walls. While smaller than the late 18th century example at Priddy's Hard, and built to the distinctive British double-vaulted plan, as a group they were unmatched until the magazines at Bull Point, Plymouth, were constructed in the 1850s. The catenary arches were first used at Tipnor in the 1790s and then at Colonel D'Arcy’s magazine at Upnor. The magazines’ innovative planning includes traverses – earth walls, sometimes faced in brick – which later became a characteristic feature of magazine complexes, uniquely assuming an architectural form. For further details, consult the description of Storehouse No 2.