Description

PORTSMOUTH

SZ6399 MUSEUM ROAD
774-1/12/66 (South side)
25/09/72 City Museum and Art Gallery
(Formerly Listed as:
ALEXANDRA ROAD
City Museum)

II

Barracks, now City Museum and Art Gallery. 1893, designed
under Lt-Colonel R Dawson-Scott RE, for the War Office;
converted 1973. Red brick in Flemish bond with stone
dressings. Plain tiled roofs, moulded brick stack with
oversailing brick cap on each side of bays 3 and 15 and to
each side of centre part, 2 similar external grouped brick
stacks to each 3-storey link part. French Chateau style.
PLAN: axial plan of double-depth rooms.
EXTERIOR: 4 storeys with 3 storey links. 17 bays
(2/1/3/1/1/1/1/1/2/1/1/1/1/1/3/1/2). A richly decorated range
on 4 sides; elevation facing Museum Road has projecting centre
part with on left and right a 2-leaf glass entrance door set
under segmental brick arch recessed behind opening with
stepped brick jambs and segmental arch, flanking octagonal
brick buttresses each with stone coping. Quoin buttresses run
through to second floor and inner buttresses to fourth floor.
At centre are 3 recessed 12-pane sashes each set under gauged
brick segmental arch with splayed brick jambs. Brick plinth
running through elevation. Brick band, pierced brick parapet
between buttresses with stone coping. First floor has at
centre paired 2-leaf 8-pane recessed casements divided by
stone Gothic column, similar single casement to left and right
each with pointed fanlight with timber grille set under
pointed stepped brick arch and jambs, stone sill, outer
casements have deep stepped stone sills. Brick band course,
second floor brick sillband and three 12-pane recessed sashes
each set under gauged brick cambered arch, splayed brick
jambs, stone sill. Similar 18-pane sash to left and right.
Stone band, facing stone coped gable with spaced stone steps.
Set within gable are 3 small 2-pane recessed casements each
set under gauged brick cambered arch, stone band below sill,
recessed brick apron. Gable has date stone 1897 and brick
relief of Royal Coat of Arms set under flat pointed brick arch
with stone apex.
Left and right returns: each have 16-pane fixed casement,
first floor 4-pane fixed casement and second floor a 12-pane
sash, each set under gauged brick cambered arch, octagonal

stone eaves turret supported on oversailing brick base. On
left and right of centre part is a 3-storey link block 4 bays
wide with four 18-pane recessed sashes each set under gauged
brick cambered arch with splayed brick jambs, stone sill.
Brick sillband at first floor. First and second floors have 4
similar 18-pane sashes, first floor has brick label and each
second floor sash is set within a facing semi-dormer stone
coped gable. To left and right of link blocks is a square
projecting tower with 3 narrow 5-pane unequal sashes each set
under gauged brick cambered arch with splayed brick jambs.
First, second and third floors each has 3 similar sashes with
brick sillband, first floor sash has brick label.
Machicolation and pyramidal roof with ornate iron finial. To
left of left tower and right of right tower is a recessed bay
with C20 door and 4-pane fanlight set under stepped brick
segmental arch and jambs. Brick sillband at first floor with
18-pane recessed sash set under gauged brick cambered arch,
stone sill and brick label. Second floor has similar sash
without label and third floor has narrow recessed 12-pane sash
set under flat stone arch, splayed brick jambs, facing stone
coped gable. On far left and far right each end bay projects
with paired narrow 12-pane recessed sashes, each set under
gauged brick cambered arch. Projecting brick strip from window
head running through to second floor. First, second and third
floors have similar recessed sashes, with brick sillbands and
each set under flat stone arch, facing stone coped gable with
stone bands.
South facing front is similar but has round towers flanking
inner sides of gabled end blocks and to left and right of
centre part, each with conical roof and iron finial. Centre
part has large canted stone mullioned oriel supported on heavy
stone brackets over entrance. Open relieving arch above
screening recessed second floor, machicolation and crenellated
parapets.
INTERIOR: plain, contains large open well stairs with iron
balusters.
HISTORY: part of the very large Clarence and Victoria barracks
for infantry and artillery, built from 1885, of which this was
almost certainly the officers' quarters fronting the parade
square behind. Nothing more survives. Built under the Military
Works Act, and one of the few surviving from an area just
outside the former Portsmouth Lines which had a large
concentration of barracks in the C19. A unique design
unrelated to other English barracks, almost all of which were
at this time strongly standardised in their planning and
architecture. One of the most striking examples of the French
Chateau style in the country.
(Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs:

Portsmouth: 1974-: 84 AND 85).

Listing NGR: SZ6369199511

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26397848

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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