Description

PLYMOUTH

SX4853NW THE BARBICAN
740-1/67/875 Royal Citadel: Main barracks
08/07/98

GV II

Soldier's barracks and recreation block. 1897 and 1899
datestones; by T Rogers Kitsell, architect for the War Office;
altered internally and to rear mid C20.
MATERIALS: dressed Plymouth limestone brought to course; dry
slate roofs with projecting eaves; dressed stone axial, gable
and lateral stacks to the ends and front walls of the barrack
rooms, all with moulded entablature.
PLAN: U-shaped plan, with a central recreation block, flanked
by 2 pairs of barrack blocks with central stairs and barrack
rooms each side, the outer ones forming the sides of a
courtyard and terminated by single-storey wash houses.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys; near symmetrical unaltered front with
taller 8-window central recreation block flanked by
2:2:2-window barrack blocks forming cross wings at the end.
Original horned sashes or mullioned windows. Central block has
5 transomed 1st-floor windows, the central window a wider
3-light mullioned window above a porch with moulded parapet
cornice and a 4-centred arched doorway with square hoodmould.
There is another doorway in the right-hand angle. Outer gables
set forward with 5-light double transomed mullioned windows
over group of 3 small windows. There are double strings
forming an entablature to the central bays and sill strings
elsewhere.
The 4 barrack blocks have similar details each with central
gables with outer doorways, outer pairs of windows separated
by a lateral stack. Ranges terminated by a single-storey
parapeted wash house with a round-arched arcade to the front
with return arches.
The outer elevation to the ramparts is straight, the central
section is punctuated by the gables of the cross wings
flanking a round-arched open doorway, now to a C20 terrace,
beneath an oriel with 3-light transom and mullion window and a
round gable containing a coat of arms. The doorway has a
rusticated arch springing from ashlar jambs with moulded
cornices; spoked fanlight over later pair of glazed doors.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
HISTORY: a garrison was based at the Citadel since the late
C17. The old quarters were rebuilt under the 1890 Barracks
Act, and they are, with the Peninsula barracks in Winchester,
a rare example of an architect-designed barracks. The

individual barracks are standard units which, with the
recreation block, forms an interesting composed range,
carefully designed to fit into the context of the C17 fort. A
fine example of its type, and part of a good group of
1890s-1900s barracks buildings at this important C17 fort.
(The Builder: Kitsell TR: Plymouth Citadel - new barracks and
revreation block: London: 1898-: 104-5; Woodward FW: Citadel:
Devon: 1987-; Saunders A: Fortress Britain: Portsmouth:
1989-).

Listing NGR: SX4813853844

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26320005

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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