Canterbury Street drill hall
| Canterbury Street drill hall | |
|---|---|
| Blackburn | |
 Canterbury Street drill hall | |
  Canterbury Street drill hall Location in Lancashire | |
| Coordinates | 53°44′39″N 2°29′04″W / 53.74425°N 2.48440°W |
| Type | Drill hall |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1870 |
| Built for | War Office |
| Architect | Stevens and Robinson |
| In use | 1870 – Present |
The Canterbury Street drill hall is a former military installation in Blackburn, Lancashire. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]
History
The building was designed by Stevens and Robinson as the headquarters of the 2nd Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps and was completed by Richard Hacking, a local builder, in 1870.[1] The unit evolved to become the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment in 1889 and 4th Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment in 1908.[2] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to Gallipoli and ultimately to the Western Front.[3] The Battalion amalgamated with the 5th Battalion to form the 4th/5th Battalion at the Canterbury Street drill hall in 1921 but the 4th Battalion was reformed there again in 1939 just before the Second World War.[2]
Following a re-organisation, the battalion converted to become the 93 (East Lancashire) Signal Squadron, 38 Signal Regiment (Volunteers) in 1971.[2] The squadron was disbanded in March 2010[4] but the drill hall is still used by the Army Cadet Force.[5]
References
- ^ a b "Blackburn Drill Hall". English Heritage. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ a b c "4th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment". Regiments.org. 15 July 2000. Archived from the original on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
- ^ Chris Baker. "The East Lancashire Regiment in 1914 – 1918". The Long, Long Trail The British Army of 1914-1918. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
- ^ "Blackburn TA squadron still doomed despite Prime Minister u-turn". Lancashire Telegraph. 29 October 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ "Our locations". Army Cadets. Retrieved 27 August 2017.