Building record MCC3057 - Hyderabad Barracks Regimental Institute, Colchester Garrison, Colchester

Summary

Hyderabad Barracks Regimental Institute, built in 1904.

Location

Grid reference Centred TM 0008 2433 (29m by 17m)
Map sheet TM02SW
County ESSEX
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

This building, built in 1904, is labelled as the Regimental Institute on the 1910 map. It is an E to W aligned building with an entrance projecting to the north and a service wing attached to the south-west corner. The main range has a Stage at the east end, with a basement below, with the remainder of the ground floor divided between a Lecture Room, Supper Room and Bar. The bar is shown with internal access, via a ladder, to an external underground beer cellar. The 1911 map shows the first floor, which is labelled as the Recreation Establishment. This is divided into three parts: a large Billiard and Games Room to the east; a Reading Room and Library to west; and a narrow Writing Room between them. The service wing is shown with a small apartment of two bedrooms on the first floor. A 1946 revision to the 1910 plan of Hyderabad and Meeanee Barracks provides the ground floor plan for the Regimental Institute after the 1938 extension. The extension includes a Corporals’ Restaurant at the west end, a Soldiers’ Room and an additional Bar. A Beer Store is located to the south of the new Bar. No plans of the first floor to the 1938 extension were located, so it is not possible to say what this part of the building was used for, but an extension to the 1904 Reading Room seems likely. The modernisations of 1958-61 affected HYD 11 by replacing the service wing with a much larger kitchen area, part of a large extension on the south side of the building. A smaller extension is located on the north-west corner of the 1938 building. The building appears labelled as the Junior Ranks Club. This building may be more familiar when described as the NAAFI, the Navy, Army and Air Force Institute, which provided services for the enlisted ranks.<1><2>

It is a two-storey structure aligned E to W with a substantial extension attached to the south side, and was originally the Regimental Institute. It has three distinguishable phases: the original building dating to 1904, at the east end of the main range; an extension at the west end of the main range, dating to 1938; and the extensions to the south comprising both single and two-storey structures, which date to 1958-61. The entire structure was gutted by fire in 2010. The 1904 structure is constructed from red brick laid in Flemish bond and has a gabled roof, presumably of replacement asbestos tiles but possibly the original slates. There is a two-storey entrance projecting from the north elevation with decorative brickwork and a date stone set above the keystone of the arch. The fenestration of the ground floor comprises tall sash windows of six-over-six lights surmounted by a three-light hopper under a flat brick arch. The sills are of York stone. The windows of the first floor are identical to those on the ground floor apart from the omission of the hopper. Exceptions to this are the windows of the east elevation, which are characterised by large lights interspersed with narrow casements. Below this range of windows there is a light well surrounded by cast iron railings. The 1938 structure was built in the same style as the 1904 building and is essentially an extension to west end. The fenestration is identical to that on the 1904 building. There is a single-storey N to S aligned wing projecting from the west end of the 1938 extension, which has a gabled roof. The west and south elevations of this extension each have a range of three windows, although the fire damage precludes an accurate description.
The 1958-61 extensions along the south side of the building are a combination of single and two-storey structures built of red brick in stretcher bond, all with flat roofs and metal-framed windows. These have multiple entrances of differing size and design. These extensions have obscured or removed most of the original features of the south ground floor wall of the 1904/1938 range.

This building has been subsequently demolished as part of the residential re-development.

Sources/Archives (2)

  • <1> Historic Building Recording: Lister, Chris (CAT). 2013. Historic building recording at the decommissioned Hyderabad and Meeanee Barracks, Colchester, Essex April 2013. CAT report 711.
  • <2> Historic Building Recording: Ingram Consultancy Ltd. 2000. Colchester Garrison, Colchester. Historic Building Assessment. HYD 11, Building Group 8, pp.77-82.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

Jan 31 2019 10:11AM

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