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Summary

The soldiers' quarters and associated facilities constructed between 1900 and 1902 were designed to accommodate one regiment of Royal Garrison Artillery or 140 men.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 10552: PENDENNIS PENINSULA FORTIFICATIONS
• Conservation Area: FALMOUTH

Other References/Statuses

• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW83SW 4
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 18709.81
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW83SW 9

Monument Type(s):

• BARRACKS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

The soldiers' quarters and associated facilities constructed between 1900 and 1902 were designed to accommodate one regiment of Royal Garrison Artillery or 140 men. The building was divided into barrack rooms, each containing 11-12 men heated by a single fireplace and a Douglas convecting grate. In addition there were three single rooms, one on the top landing of each stairwell for the NCOs. Each group of two rooms (23 men) was served by an ablutions area containing four sinks, a mop recess and a seat and outside each was a urine tub which was emptied regularly in an external sluice to the rear of the barracks. The building was lit by gas. Each room was fitted with two ceiling mounted gas outlets. The staircases and communal areas were lit with wall mounted gas lights.

The external walls, in common with all of Pendennis' military buildings designed by the Western District Royal Engineers at this time 'are of local granite dressings with shellit stone facing', with a 2 1/4in cavity in 4 1/2in brick lining. The footings of the east wing were greatly deepended to bear below the level of the area surrounding the Married Soldiers Quarters , the old soldiers barracks which remained for many years after the construction of its replacement. The elevations are a hybrid of neo-Tudor and Georgian resulting in a rather bland edifice, a style clearly much liked by the Barrack Department. The symmetrical block is crowned by a clock tower which contained a 20,000 gallon water tank which received water pumped up Castle Road by an engine near the junction with Castle Drive.

During World War Two the capacity of the barracks was considered to be greater than its designers had intended. Each room had to accommodate 16 men and the NCOs rooms, two warrant officers each in bunks.

The building was converted to a youth hostel in 1963, by the sub-division of the barrack rooms. Two barrack rooms remain undivided, used by English Heritage as a cafeteria and education room (21).

--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1927. DRAKE,S/IAM
3: 1987. WESTON,SM/IAM
4: 1988. HARTGROVES,S/CAU
5: 1988. HARTGROVES,S/CAU
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<1> Hals, W, 1740, The Compleat History of Cornwall, 129 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3429.

<2> Lilly, C, 1715, An Exact Plan of Pendennis Fort (Bibliographic reference). SCO3870.

<3> Norden, J, 1728, Speculi Britanniae Pars (Bibliographic reference). SCO4001.

<4> Polwhele, R, 1803, History of Cornwall (Bibliographic reference). SCO4140.

<5> Lysons, D & S, 1814, Magna Britannia, VOL III, CORNWALL, 98, 99, 104 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3885.

<6> Hitchins, F & Drew, S (Eds), 1824, The History of Cornwall (Bibliographic reference). SCO3595.

<7> TREGONNING HOOPER, 1827, UNKNOWN TITLE, VOL 1, NO 6, 7-9 (Unedited Source). SCO5851.

<8> Thomas, R, 1827, History and Description of the Town and Harbour of Falmouth, 110-113 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4698.

<9> Thomas, R, 1851, Letters to the West Briton (Article in newspaper). SCO4699.

<10> Brine, F, 1855, Shilling Trip to Falmouth (Bibliographic reference). SCO2906.

<11> Pasfield Oliver, S, 1875, Pendennis and St Mawes (Bibliographic reference). SCO4086.

<12> Beckett, R, 1961, Tercenteniary of Falmouth (Bibliographic reference). SCO2815.

<13> UNKNOWN, 1963, MOW GUIDE (Unedited Source). SCO7885.

<14> Carew, R, 1969, The Survey of Cornwall 1602 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3044.

<15> Institute Of Cornish Studies, 1987, Place-Names Index (Bibliographic reference). SCO3621.

<16> Padel, OJ, 1985, Cornish Place-Name Elements, 85, 177-180 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4064.

<17> Hartgroves, S & Sharpe, A & Roberts, C, 1985, Pendennis Castle and the Headland, Falmouth (Cornwall Event Report). SCO3459.

<18> Morley, B, 1988, The Castles of Pendennis and St Mawes (Bibliographic reference). SCO3957.

<19> Sharpe, A, 1989, Pendinas Castle (Cornwall Event Report). SCO4367.

<20> Walker, R, 1989, Pendennis Castle Resistivity Survey 1989 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5007.

<21> Linzey, R, 2000, Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000), site E10 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO5283 - Pendennis Peninsula Fortifications, Falmouth, Cornwall (Ref: 2018R004)

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