Description

PLYMOUTH

SX45NW SALTASH ROAD, Devonport
740-1/4/175 HMS Drake: Wardroom, Officer's
01/05/75 quarters and Mess

GV II*

Formerly known as: (HMS Drake) Wardroom Blocks SALTASH ROAD
Devonport.
Officer's quarters and wardroom blocks. 1898-1902,
Superintendent Engineer Major Monro Wilson, RE.
MATERIALS: Plymouth limestone rock-faced ashlar to ground
floor, otherwise dressed limestone brought to course and with
limestone dressings; dry slate hipped roofs; stone partly
external end stacks, axial and lateral stacks, all with panels
and moulded cornices.
STYLE: Free Classical.
PLAN: central double-depth wardroom linked by 1st-floor
passages on 2-span bridges to double-depth quarters blocks at
right angles to rear wings.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys; slightly asymmetrical 1:2:1:2:1-bay
centre block flanked by symmetrical 2:1:2-bay fronts which are
similar to the fronts of the rear wings. All blocks have
pilasters dividing bays to upper floors, window architraves,
moulded hoods above 1st-floor windows, apron entablature to
1st floor, moulded sill string to 2nd floor and moulded
parapet with lower cornice; original horned sashes with
glazing bars to top halves and original panelled doors.
Central block has tall entrance tower which rises 2 stages
above main parapet level.
Tetrastyle Ionic porch is approached by a double L-plan
staircase; 2 central windows above, then cornice linked to
parapet cornice; 4 pilasters and central round-arched window
to next stage and entablature below octagonal cupola with
round arches and Ionic columns plus further entablature sloped
in towards dome with turned finial. Left of the tower is the
staircase bay with tall double-transomed 3-light round-arched
window over 3-light flat-headed window; right of the tower are
paired sashes, then next bays on either side have tall sashes.
The end bays are canted with 3-light bay windows.
Other fronts have tripartite entrances and 1st-floor balconies
with roudelled balustrades carried on moulded brackets. Below
triangular parapet pediment to each entrance bay is a tall
round-arched transomed 3-light stair window above a squat
3-light window.
INTERIOR: wardroom has a richly-decorated interior with a fine
central entrance hall divided by marble columns with a large

open well stair with moulded balusters, decorated mess rooms
each side with pilasters, cornices and wainscot, and the rear
central dining room with panelled walls, large fireplaces with
painted panels; axial corridor with bedrooms on upper floors.
HISTORY: part of the second phase of the barracks, the
officers were housed in Howard and Seymour blocks (qqv) before
it was built. Sailors lived in hulks until the first barracks
were built for them here at Devonport, then Chatham and
Portsmouth.
This is probably the finest and most ambitious officers mess
on an English barracks, executed in a bold Free Style manner,
with careful attention to detail and compositional quality,
and forming the centrepiece of a complete planned group. More
richly decorated though of similar plan form to the equivalent
buildings at HMS Pembroke at Chatham and HMS Nelson at
Portsmouth.
Part of a complete complex, manifesting the status and
importance of the Royal Navy at this time.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1989-:
655 & 656; PSA Drawings Collection, NMR Swindon: PLM 248-284).

Listing NGR: SX4499756685

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17554570

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)