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Summary

Three of four surviving harness rooms (Buildings 82, 108 and 114) originally built in 1894. The interior was open plan and equipped with timber harness racks, now removed, which were placed around all four walls with an additional two central rows, one to either side of a tortoise stove. Building 82 is the best example of the three; Buildings 108 and 141 have been somewhat altered.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1421995: Okehampton Camp: Building 82 (formerly Harness Room 1)

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TACK ROOM (Built, XIX - 1894 AD to 1894 AD)

Full description

English Heritage, 05/02/2015, Okehampton Camp. Various Buildings - Batch 1. EX20 1QP (Correspondence). SDV357838.

English Heritage has been assessing a number of buildings at Okehampton Camp for addition to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. Following an initial assessment of Building 141 it has been decided not to take the building forward to a full assessment. The building will not, therefore, be added to the List at this time.
Despite the historic interest granted by its location at Okehampton Training Camp, the building is considered to have no special architectural interest and does not meet the criteria for designation for the following principal reason: Intactness: the building survives less well than others of the same type on the site, notably Building 82, which is being recommended for listing at Grade II.

English Heritage, 05/09/2014, Okehampton Camp. Building 82 (formerly Harness Room 1) (Report - non-specific). SDV357117.

The former No.1 Harness Room (Building No.82) was one of four harness stores (one demolished) built in 1894 during the first phase of construction at Okehampton Camp. The interior was open plan, and equipped with timber harness racks (removed) which were placed around all four walls with an additional two central rows, one to either side of a tortoise stove. In more recent years the building has served as a target store.
MATERIALS: constructed from random cut and squared slate stone with brick quoins under a gabled slate roof. The west gable end and rear wall are rendered. The square-headed openings have brick surrounds with lintels of rubbed bricks, and the windows have chamfered granite sills.
PLAN: rectangular on plan and aligned west to east. The interior was originally open plan, although a transverse partition wall has subsequently been inserted.
EXTERIOR: the three-bay entrance front (north) elevation has a central entrance with a pair of timber doors, approached by a stone step, and an overlight of five panes. To either side is an eight-pane timber casement set high in the wall. The gable walls each contain two timber windows, three of which appear to have either had their glazing bars replaced or have been reframed; only the sixteen-pane window in the east elevation appears original. The rear, south-facing elevation has two openings set high in the wall which contain modern windows of uPVC.
INTERIOR: the walls are faced with fair-face brick; the lower parts were originally timber clad which may survive behind later boarding. Internally, the openings have segmental heads. The roof consists of Queen post trusses, two rows of purlins and diagonal timber board cladding to the underside of the roof.
Map object based on this source.

Wessex Archaeology, 2001, Okehampton Camp Devon. Archaeological Desk Based Assessment and Earthwork Survey, Pl. 1, Appendices 1, 3, 6 (Pl. 9) (Report - Survey). SDV360511.

Francis, P., 2002, Okehampton Artillery Camp Historical Appraisal, 32, Pl. 22, Appendix 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV276160.

Three surviving harness rooms of the four originally built in 1894 (Buildings 82, 108 and 141). They were open plan rooms with timber harness storage racks around all our walls with another two rows in the centre, one either side of a tortoise stove. The buildings have limestone walls with brick quoins and window dressings under a late roof. Building 82 is the best example; building 108 has had its windows blocked and new doorways inserted to aid its function as a weapons store while Building 141 has had an entrance lobby added and new windows.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Okehampton Camp. Archaeological Building Recording Survey and Final Earthwork Survey Report, Pl. 1, Appendices 1, 3, 6 (Pl. 9) (Report - Survey). SDV348121.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Map object based on this source.

English Heritage, 2015, Okehampton Camp. Building 82 (formerly Harness Room 1), Okehampton, Devon (Correspondence). SDV358363.

Building 82 has been added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Rarity: of the three artillery training camps established in the late C19, Okehampton is the only one to
survive with a legible group of contemporary buildings of note, of which Building 82 is one.
Historic interest: the Royal Artillery Training Camp at Okehampton played an important role in the
advancement of new military techniques and tactics, and Building 82 reflects the significant role of horses for the army during the C19 and into the early part of the C20.
Intactness: despite undergoing alterations, it is a well-built structure and the most complete harness room surviving at the camp.
Group value: it forms an historic group with other late-C19 camp buildings, with which it has a related use and design concept. Together they form a compact pre-mechanised transport artillery training camp.
Setting: additional and significant interest is provided by the relationship of the camp to Okehampton Range on the Dartmoor Training Area. The range is of high historic significance in itself, and the two sites should not be seen in isolation of each other.

English Heritage, 25/07/2014, Okehampton Camp. Building No. 82 (Correspondence). SDV357116.

Notification that English Heritage is undertaking a project to consider a number of the military buildings on Okehampton Training Camp for addition to the National Heritage List for England. An inspection of the camp buildings was carried out by English Heritage in April 2014, as a result of which, a number of buildings have been carried forward to full assessment, including building No. 82.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6567 - Inspection of Buildings at Okehampton Camp
• EDV5539 - Okehampton Artillery Camp Historical Appraisal
• EDV5544 - Building Recording and Earthwork Survey at Okehampton Camp
• EDV3474 - Earthwork survey of Okehampton Castle and Park

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