Hillsborough Barracks
Encyclopedia
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Hillsborough, South Yorkshire
Hillsborough is an electoral ward which includes the districts of Malin Bridge, Owlerton, Wadsley and Wisewood. It is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the northwestern part of the city and covers an area of 4.6 km2...
District of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The complex covers an area of circa 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) and dates from 1848, replacing an inadequate barracks at Hillfoot at an estimated cost of £94,000.
Military requirements
Sheffield has good road and railway links to all points of the compass and is also close to the geographic centre of Great Britain. This makes it a prime location for a large military barracksBarracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
.
A barracks was required to house
| Cavalry | Infantry | |
|---|---|---|
| Field Officers | 2 | 1 |
| Other Officers | 19 | 18 |
| Officer's Servants | 21 | 18 |
| Sergeants & Privates | 252 | 524 |
| Hospital Patients | 32 | 58 |
| Hospital Staff | 2 | 3 |
| Horses: Officer | 50 | |
| Horses: Troop | 240 | |
| Horses: Sick | 50 |
The buildings
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Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
establishment, quarters for around 40 officers and a similar number of servants, and a chapel. This building has a length of about 354 feet (107.9 m) and a width and height of about 40 feet (12.2 m), is three storeys high and has a mixture of gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and castellated styles.
The other buildings of the barracks consisted off:
- A large five bedroomed house serving as the GarrisonGarrisonGarrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
Commander’s Quarters outside the walls - A 58-patient two storey hospital incorporating a barracksBarracksBarracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
for RAMC personnel, a Dental Clinic and a facility for treating women - Infantry soldiers' quarters
- A clock towered building, with CavalryCavalryCavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
soldiers' quarters on the first floor and stabling for 260 horses on the ground floor (total accommodation for 918 NCONon-commissioned officerA non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
and other ranks) - A Gymnasium
- A Riding School
- A school for 80 children and accommodation for the schoolmistress
- Married quarters flats for 50 families provided outside the walls
- A Gun Shed housing six Field gunField gunA field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
s - The Barracks Store with living quarters for the BarracksBarracksBarracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... - A Guard Room, incorporating a Police Room, Detention Cells, and an exercise yard
- A Vehicle Shed (built in 1903) which could house 26 motor cars
- A Veterinary Infirmary, large enough to house 18 horses
- A GranaryGranaryA granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...
- Four cookhouses
- And various workshops
Water supply
The barracks had its own water supply, fed from the nearby Rawson Spring on the facing hillside towards WalkleyWalkley
Walkley is an electoral ward in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.Walkley ward—which includes the districts of Netherthorpe, Upperthorpe, Walkley and parts of Neepsend—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the northwestern part of the city...
. The spring kept 21 underground tanks filled with over half a million gallons of water. The smallest tank held 12,000 gallons, the biggest 50,000 gallons. It was rumoured at the time that this water supply would be for the benefit of Sheffield’s gentry who would seek refuge in the barracks in the event of an uprising.
With entrances on both the Langsett and Penistone Roads it was considered to be amongst the finest and best arranged barracks in the kingdom, and as a military depot it ranked amongst the largest in the country.
The Great Sheffield FloodGreat Sheffield FloodNot to be confused with the floods in Sheffield in 2007.The Great Sheffield Flood was a flood that devastated parts of Sheffield, England, on 11 March 1864, when the Dale Dyke Dam broke.- Collapse of Dale Dyke Dam :...
On the northern side of the Barracks runs the River LoxleyRiver Loxley
The River Loxley is a river in the City of Sheffield South Yorkshire, England. Its source is a series of streams which rise some to the north-west of Sheffield on Bradfield Moors, and converge at Low Bradfield...
. On the night of Friday 11 March 1864 the ill-fated Dale Dyke Dam further up the Loxley
River Loxley
The River Loxley is a river in the City of Sheffield South Yorkshire, England. Its source is a series of streams which rise some to the north-west of Sheffield on Bradfield Moors, and converge at Low Bradfield...
Valley at Bradfield burst and the resulting flood waters breached a stone wall that was three feet thick. The water reached a height of about 60 feet (18.3 m) above normal river water level, and drowned two children of Sergeant Paymaster Foulds in the Married Quarters.
Army units
Army units to have been stationed include:- 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards4th Royal Irish Dragoon GuardsThe 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards in 1922....
in 1856 - 98th (Prince of Wales's) Foot in 1856
- 7th (the Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards in 1857
- 24th (Warwickshire) FootThe South Wales BorderersThe South Wales Borderers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It first came into existence, as the 24th Regiment of Foot, in 1689, but was not called the South Wales Borderers until 1881. The regiment served in a great many conflicts, including the American Revolutionary War, various...
in 1859 - 58th (Rutlandshire) Foot in 1861
- 16th (Bedfordshire) Foot in 1861
- 22nd (Cheshire) Foot in 1870
- E Battery Royal Horse Artillery in the 1870s
- A Squadron 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) in 1897
- 6th Battalion (Louth Militia) Royal Irish Rifles in 1899
- Volunteers from the Yorkshire Dragoons and Yorkshire Hussars underwent training at the Barracks in preparation for the Boer War in 1900
- 32nd Brigade, Royal Field ArtilleryRoyal Field ArtilleryThe Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
in 1901 - 2nd Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light InfantryKing's Own Yorkshire Light InfantryThe King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. The regiment's traditions and history are now maintained by The Rifles.-The 51st Foot:...
in 1905 - 2nd Battalion The Cheshire (22nd) Regiment in 1920
The last Army unit ( 29th Field (Howitzer ) Battery left the Barracks in February 1930, leaving the Barracks unoccupied except for a resident caretaker.
Sale
On 26 July 1932, an auction was held on the instructions of the War Department by Eadon & Lockwood at Sheffield. However, when bidding reached only £12,000, the auction was terminated and the Barracks withdrawn from sale. In October of that year, the complex was sold to Burdall’s Ltd, a manufacturing chemist noted for its gravy salt, and it became known as the Burdall’s Buildings.Redevelopment
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Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
Supermarket covering the old Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
Parade Ground, which has been roofed for the purpose and is fronted by the clock towered stable block. The old Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Parade Ground is now a two-storey car park between the Stable Block and the old Officer Mess (now the headquarters for Sheffield Insulations Ltd
SIG plc
SIG plc is a British-based international supplier of insulation, roofing, commercial interiors and specialist construction products. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
). The old football ground and rifle range are now a B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
DIY
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
Superstore. The Married Quarters which served as flats until the end of the 1970s were demolished and the area is now a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
Drive-through
Drive-through
A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1930s but has since spread to other countries. The first recorded use of a bank using a drive...
Restaurant. The Garrison Commander’s House was demolished and its site is now covered with a garage and petrol station. The old guard room is now the Garrison Hotel and Jailhouse Bar. The hospital building is now Skills for Business, part of Sheffield College
Sheffield College
Sheffield College is a further education college in Sheffield, England. It was formed by the merger of six FE colleges in 1993. The main centres are Sheffield City College , Hillsborough College and Norton College...
. Sheffield College is part of Hillsborough College.
Other buildings within the site serve as a Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus was a government agency for working-age people in Great Britain. The agency was formed when the Employment Service, which operated Jobcentres, merged with the Benefits Agency, which ran social security offices, and was re-named Jobcentre Plus on 1 April 2002...
, Clark and Partners and the headquarters of the Coalfield Pensions Scheme.
The whole site is once again known as Hillsborough Barracks. As a Grade II listed building, it represents the only surviving example of a walled barracks within the UK.
Hillsborough Interchange
Hillsborough Interchange
Hillsborough Interchange is a bus station and tram stop in Hillsborough, north west Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.It serves a variety of operators including First South Yorkshire, Stagecoach Sheffield, Sheffield Supertram and Sheffield Community Transport. It is staffed between...
has been built beside the barracks and provides good transport links.
External links
- Garrison Hotel Intro is worth watching
- Skill for Business part of Sheffield College