Building record 2416/17/1 - Drill Hall, Benefield Road

World War II Drill Hall with twin Home Guard Stores, for explosives and inflammables. Adjacent to the rifle range. Built c 1930. Two-storey, seven bay front block with off-centre entrance approached by a short flight of steps.

{1} Not shown on early OS maps, but would appear to be fairly early in construction. Now in use by Oundle Museum and Rockingham Forest Trust. Style appears to emulate that of other buildings seen in Oundle. Film 5, photo 26,27.

{2} M Osbourne suggests built 1900; 19th century house attached to two storey block; hall, garage, small arms range to rear. 1914 Drill Station for B Sqn N'ants Yeomanry.

{3} Colour photographs. Brief external inspection by G. Cadman confirms building in good condition.

{5} The Drill Hall was the town's HQ in the event of attack.

{7} Built c 1930. Two-storey, seven bay front block with off-centre entrance approached by a short flight of steps, the arched surround formed from banded stone with the words 'Drill Hall' incised above. To the west side of the main block, slightly set back from the road and with a lower roof height, is a two-storey, five bay, house for the drill sargeant or caretaker with a central doorway approached by a short flight of steps, with a stone surround with an arched head and prominent keystone. Both buildings have gabled roofs, a stone plinth and shaped roof sills, all emphassised by rough-cast render and stone quoins to the main administrative building. To the rear lies the brick-built hall-approximately 45 feet long by 30 feet wide- and attached to the rear of the ahll is what appears to be a former rifle range which is approximately 100 feet long and 16 feet wide. In the grounds to the east of the hall (now a car park) are two detached brick-built explosive or inflammable stores which appear to date from WWI.

{8} Reasons for currently not Listing the Building
HISTORY AND DETAILS
The drill hall in Oundle was built c.1930 and therefore falls into the 1914-1945 period, during which more than 200 new drill halls were built, mainly in the suburbs of England’s major towns and cities.
The complex consists of a two-storey, seven-bay front block with an off-centre, segmental arched entrance with the words ‘Drill Hall’ incised above the arched surround. To the west side of the main block, slightly set back from the road and with a lower roof height, is a two-storey, five-bay house for the drill sergeant or caretaker. This has a central doorway with a stone surround which has an arched head and prominent keystone. Both buildings have a gabled roof, a stone plinth and shaped stone sills, all emphasised by rough-cast render. To the rear lies the brick-built hall and attached to the rear of the hall there is what appears to be the former rifle range.
DISCUSSION
The Historic England Listing Selection Guide for Sport and Recreation Buildings (English Heritage, October 2011) outlines the history of drill halls which can be seen as developments of private fencing schools and shooting galleries. Famous early examples include the drill hall for the Bloomsbury Rifles in London (Grade II), and many others survive in towns throughout the country. The Grade II listed Northampton drill hall of 1859 is a classic instance of the baronial brick armoury, and the Grade II listed ‘drill shed’ at Shoebury, Essex (1859-60) is also exceptionally early. Like Shoebury, most later drill halls are important components in extensive barracks complexes. They share a simple external panache, often of red brick with terracotta details and lettering on the principal elevation, and are occasionally treated in a castellated Gothic or proudly Baroque idiom. Additionally, it is important to note that whilst unaltered examples are clearly of interest, adaptations are also important in telling the story of how society, technology and warfare evolved over time.

The drill hall in Oundle is not recommended for listing for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: it is a standard design of modest architectural interest with nothing to distinguish it from other typical drill halls of this form and period;
* Date: it is late in the evolution of drill halls and would therefore have to demonstrate a higher level of architectural interest and detailing to meet the criteria for listing.
CONCLUSION
The drill hall in Oundle has local architectural and historic interest as it was built for local reserve forces but it does not have special interest from a national perspective and should not be added to the statutory List.

{9} Undated photo;

<1> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Oundle (Industrial), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100257.

<2> Osborne M., 2002, Fieldwork Survey of Military Buildings: Drill Halls, Barracks & Depots: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Note). SNN103251.

<3> Cadman, G., 2003, Drill Hall, Benefield Road, Oundle, (checked) (Note). SNN103392.

<4> Osborne, M., 2002, The Drill Hall, Oundle, (checked) (Photographs). SNN108906.

<5> Osborne, M., 2003, 20th Century Defences in Britain: The East Midlands (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire & Rutland), p.74 (checked) (Book). SNN104545.

<6> Downes, M., Oundle's War, (unchecked) (Book). SNN109696.

<7> Carmichael, K., 2015, Drill Halls- A National Overview, p. 59 (Report). SNN111392.

<8> English Heritage, Designation Advice Report, Drill Hall, Benefield Road (Report). SNN113190.

<9> Photographs of buildings in Oundle (Photographs). SNN114658.

<10> Migrated Defence of Britain Project database record originally compiled from various sources (Database). SNN112922.

<11> Historic England, Undated, Defence of Britain, DEB01 (Archive). SNN112947.

Record last edited

Jun 2 2023 2:42PM