Clare Street drill hall, Northampton
| Clare Street drill hall | |
|---|---|
| Northampton | |
 Clare Street drill hall | |
.svg)  Clare Street drill hall Location within Northamptonshire | |
| Coordinates | 52°14′37″N 0°53′24″W / 52.24372°N 0.89001°W |
| Type | Drill hall |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1859 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1859-Present |
The Clare Street drill hall is a military installation in Northampton, Northamptonshire. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]
History
The building was designed in the Fortress Gothic Revival Style as the headquarters of the 1st Northamptonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps and completed in 1859.[1] The unit evolved to become the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment in 1887 and the 4th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment in 1908.[2] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to Gallipoli and, ultimately, to Palestine.[3] The Northamptonshire Yeomanry was also based at Clare Street at this time.[4]
The 4th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment converted to become the 50th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1940.[2] This unit evolved to become the 637th Regiment, Royal Artillery (The Northamptonshire Regiment) in 1945 and 585th (The Northamptonshire Regiment) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1947.[2] The presence at the drill hall was reduced to a single battery, R (The Northamptonshire Regiment) Battery, 438th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery in 1955.[2] The battery amalgamated with the 5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire regiment to form the 4th/5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment in 1961.[2] Following the cut-backs in 1967, the 7th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment was formed at the Clare Street drill hall in 1971.[5] The presence at the drill hall was reduced to a single company, D (Northamptonshire) Company, 4th/5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment, in 1978.[6] The presence at the drill hall was further reduced to a single platoon from C (Leicestershire and Northamptonshire) Company, the East of England Regiment in 1999 and from C (Leicestershire and Northamptonshire) Company, the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment in 2006.[7][8]
Following a major refurbishment in 2015, the drill hall became the home of Headquarters Company and of 118 Recovery Company of 104 Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers: it remains an active Army Reserve Centre.[9]
References
- ^ a b "Territorial Army Centre and drill hall". Historic England. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Northamptonsire Volunteers". Regiments.org. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- ^ "Northamptonshire Regiment". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
- ^ "Northampton". The Drill Hall Project. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ "4th/5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment". Regiments.org. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- ^ "7th Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment". Regiments.org. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
- ^ "The East of England Regiment and 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment". Regiments.org. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
- ^ "TA Centre Northampton". Alamy. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- ^ "Refurbishment progressing at historic Army centre in Northampton". Northamptonshire Chronicle. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2017.