Army Education Centre, Catterick Garrison

Army Education Centre, Catterick Garrison

This is an education facility constructed in 1933 for the Royal Corps of Signals. It is a steel-framed building faced with red brick laid in stretcher bond, complemented by finely finished sandstone dressings. The windows are metal-framed and considered to be largely original. The building is roofed with Welsh slate featuring close-mitred hips and grey ridge tiles, with a leaded clock turret at the centre. Flat roofed sections to the north side have replaced roof coverings.

The building's plan follows its original design. The main entrance sits at the centre of the south elevation, leading into a lobby connected to an axial corridor that runs along the north elevation. This corridor links stair halls and secondary exits in two cross-wings, with classrooms positioned on the south side of the corridor. The first floor mirrors this arrangement, with an axial corridor on the north side and classrooms to the south. An office is located above the entrance lobby. Further offices occupy two-storey flat-roofed projections extending northward from each cross-wing. A third flat-roofed projection opposite the central entrance contains a two-storey toilet block. Several classrooms feature two doors and are divisible into two spaces with sliding partitions.

The main south elevation is symmetrical, comprising a nine-bay two-storey central range flanked by slightly projecting cross-wings. Windows are large and subdivided into small panes with glazing bars; the middle sections pivot centrally on horizontal axes. Brick soldier courses form lintels and sills, with the first-floor lintels and ground-floor sills continuing as bands across the front and side elevations. Broad pilasters mark the bays of the main range. The south elevations of the flanking cross-wings feature forward-breaking central sections with windows divided into three lights by brick mullions. The central bay contains the main entrance with panelled double doors set in a sandstone surround. This surround extends upwards to incorporate a relief carving of the Royal Corps of Signals emblem and motto together with the date 1933. Sandstone pilasters flank the entrance, extending to cornices immediately below the first-floor sills. Above the entrance, the first-floor window is stone-framed and divided into two narrow lights with a stone mullion. Rising from the roof ridge above the entrance is a clock turret. The turret is square, with a clock face displaying Roman numerals set below a shallow pediment on each elevation. It features a swept pyramidal roof topped with a ball finial supporting a weathervane.

The east and west elevations are of five bays. The three southern bays contain narrow tall windows, the next bay is blind, and the northern bay contains a secondary entrance set in a sandstone doorcase. The flat-roofed projection to the north is blind. The rear northern elevation is more simply detailed, with smaller windows otherwise detailed like those on the front elevation.

The interior remains largely as originally built, retaining most internal features including original internal doors, the majority of which are part-glazed, and high-level hopper windows between classrooms and the axial corridors. Simple skirtings, cornicing and other details survive. Both staircases retain their original metal balustrading and timber handrails. Some classroom dividers are possibly later replacements. Washrooms and toilets have been extensively modernised and are not of special architectural or historic interest.