Building record 1160/392/1 - Barracks Buildings

Buildings associated with the former Gibraltar Barracks, originally built in 1796. the building on the Barrack Road frontage has had modern wings added to the rear.

{1} Gibralter barracks on west side of Barrack Road. Formerly (late 19th century) the 48th Regimental District Depot. Series of barrack buildings set around a large parade ground or barrack square are shown on the 1st edition OS 1:2500 plan of the area.Today only two of the buildings confirmed as suviving; one at sp 7527/6127 and another to its east. Latter at least, converted to flats with new wing added. At least one War dept. Bench Mark survives. There were located on boundary of the military establishment, in this instance on the corner of Mill Road and St Georges street. High brick wall at this point may also have been erected for the Depot. No date for founding of Depot or when it ceased to be used for the military.

{2} Brief field observation conducted from the perimeter of the site on 20/09/1998. At least two main buildings and one small building survive along with part of the perimeter wall. The former all lie within what was the south east corner of the barracks. The buildings are situated at SP7533/6130, SP7528/6128, SP7527/6126.

{3} Under the Defended Locality system, it became necessary in 1942 to establish a Keep. According to Barnes this was intended as a rallying point in the town and as a last ditch defensive position for the Battalion. It was decided that a single keep would be too large and so three were designated - The Drill Hall, the new Police Station in the Mounts and the barracks in Barrack Road. Barrack Road site now destroyed.

{6} Remains of buildings that once formed part of Northampton Barracks on Barrack Road. The west end of one of these buildings was photographed on 8th July 2003 from the grounds of the adjoining St georges centre. The building concerned comprises a brick built range aligned E x W.

{7} Erected in 1797 for cavalry; subsequently modified and expanded for infantry. Regimental depot for the N'ants Regt.

{8} The cavalry barracks built in 1796 on the north side of Northampton was another large complex which included ashlar of Kingsthorpe Sandstone, but no stone is visible now in the buildings remaining.

<1> Cadman, G.E., 1998, SMR report form, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49610.

<2> CADMAN G.E., 1998, SMR Report Form, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49627.

<3> HOLLOWELL S., 1998, Defence of Britain Project Site Report Form, (checked) (Recording Form (Not SMR)). SNN51403.

<4> Barnes L.E., 1946, History of the 12th Northamptonshire Battalion Home Guard 1940-1944, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN55036.

<5> Holloway B.G., 1949, The Northamptonshire Home Guard 1940-45, (unchecked) (Book). SNN55038.

<6> Cadman, G., 2003, Northampton Barracks, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN103231.

<7> Osborne M., 2002, Fieldwork Survey of Military Buildings: Drill Halls, Barracks & Depots: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Note). SNN103251.

<8> Sutherland D.S., 2003, Northamptonshire Stone, p.66 (checked) (Book). SNN104515.

<9> Migrated Defence of Britain Project database record originally compiled from various sources (Database). SNN112922.

<10> Historic England, Undated, Defence of Britain (Archive). SNN112947.

Record last edited

Apr 9 2025 2:43PM