Army Reserves Centre excluding former hall at rear, 124 McDonald Road, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Designed by Thomas Duncan Rhind and constructed in 1911-12 with interior alterations by W G Brown & Co. in 1972-3, the building is a 3-storey, 3-bay rectangular plan, neo-Renaissance style drill hall administration block, on a corner site. In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: the former hall located to the rear.

The McDonald Road (northeast) elevation is of cream polished ashlar with distinctive channelled quoins and Gibbsian windows with bold projecting keystone features. The central entrance bay is advanced and topped by a triangular pediment and there is an arched doorway with a heavy timber semi-circular canopy. The 3rd floor windows break the eaves and are corniced. The side (northwest) elevation is squared and snecked pink rubble sandstone. There is 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows, a mansard roof with grey slates and a coped chimney stack to the end gable.

The interior which was seen in 2015 retains little of the 1911-12 scheme as the spaces were rearranged in the 1972-3 alterations. The 1911-12 double stair is still in place. The former caretaker's flat on the second floor has a cast iron chimneypiece and some late 19th century timberwork.

Statement of Interest

The McDonald Road drill hall adminstration block is a good example of its building type built in the wake of the 1907 Haldane Reforms and designed by the prominent Edinburgh architect Thomas Duncan Rhind. The exterior of the office section has not been significantly altered since it was built in 1911-12 and it uses good quality materials and unusual neo-Renaissance details such as the bold keystone features on the windows and channelled masonry. In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: the former hall located to the rear.

The McDonald Road former drill hall was built for the 1st Lowland City of Edinburgh Royal Field Artillery and Ammunition Column. A newspaper report which described and illustrated two halls in Edinburgh designed by Thomas Duncan Rhind in 1911 outlined the accommodation in both buildings which was to include 'quarters for administrative purposes, viz. orderlies' rooms, officers' rooms, men's recreation room and sergeant's room as well as a caretaker's house and a large drill hall with stores for the transportation waggons'. The plans for this drill hall were passed by the Dean of Guild Court (the equivalent of the local authority planning department today) in May 1911. The building was completed the following year and it is first shown on the Ordnance Survey map, which was revised about 1912.

A comprehensive programme of reconstruction was undertaken in 1972-73. In the administration building on McDonald Road a number of changes took place at both ground and first floor level including the enlargement of the south room at the front to become the officers' mess and the subdivision of the two large rooms on the ground floor. The rear part of the building, the original drill hall, was extended to McDonald Road and McDonald Place and reconstructed as a garage, workshop and other offices, with a mess added at first floor. As a result of these changes, the drill hall itself was halved in size and it is excluded from the listing.

The architect Thomas Duncan Rhind (1871-1927) received his early training as a sculptor with his father, John Rhind and older brother William Birnie Rhind but went on to study architecture. Rhind was an enthusiastic member of the volunteer forces, becoming a major in The Royal Scots and receiving the Territorial Distinction. On the outbreak of the First World War he was appointed Commandant of Redford Barracks while German prisoners of war were held there and served as provost marshal for a time after which he became Brigade Major in the Lothian Brigade and was appointed CBE in January 1916. He then joined the staff of Sir Andrew Geddes, Director of Recruiting, at the War Office in London and was appointed Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, undertaking the organisation of the statistical branch of the Recruiting Department. He was promoted Brevet Lieutenant Colonel in 1917 and appointed Assistant Adjutant General. On the transfer of the recruiting to civil administration he was appointed Controller of Statistics under the Ministry of National Service and was knighted in 1918. Latterly he was chief recorder at the Ministry. During his time in London he was attached to the London Scottish. Because the latter part of his career was largely working in administration, Rhind's output was relatively small. Rhind designed three drill halls in Edinburgh: Brandon Terrace, McDonald Road and East Claremont Street.

In the late 1850s there was concern in the British Government about the Army's ability to defend both the home nation as well as the Empire. Britain's military defences were stretched and resources to defend Britain needed to be found. One solution was to create 'Volunteer Forces', a reserve of men who volunteered for part-time military training similar to that of the regular army and who could therefore help to defend Britain if the need arose.

In 1859 the Rifle Volunteer Corps (and Artillery Corps in defended coastal areas) were formed and the Volunteer Act of 1863 provided more regulation on how the volunteer forces were run and it set out the standards for drills and a requirement for annual inspections. Most purpose-built drill halls constructed at this time were paid for by a major local landowner, the subscriptions of volunteers, local fundraising efforts or a combination of all three. The Regulation of the Forces Act 1871 (known as the Cardwell Reforms after the Secretary of State for War, Edward Cardwell) gave forces the legal right to acquire land to build a drill hall and more purpose-built drill halls began to be constructed after this date. The largest period of drill hall construction, aided by government grants, took place between 1880 and 1910. The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (known as the Haldane Reforms after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Haldane) came into force in 1908 and the various Volunteer Units were consolidated to form the Territorial Force. The construction of drill halls largely ceased during the First World War and in 1920 the Territorial Force became the Territorial Army.

In the 20th century changes in warfare and weaponry made many of the earlier drill halls redundant and subject to demolition or change to a new use. Around 344 drill halls are believed to have been built in Scotland of which 182 are thought to survive today, although few remain in their original use. Drill halls are an important part of our social and military history. They tell us much about the development of warfare and the history of defending our country. They also, unusually for a nationwide building programme, were not standardised and were often designed by local architects in a variety of styles and they also have a part to play in the history of our communities.

The requirements for drill halls were basic – a large covered open space to train and drill as well as a place for the secure storage of weapons. The vast majority of drill halls were modest utilitarian structures. Most drill halls conformed to the pattern of an administrative block containing offices and the armoury to store weapons along with a caretaker or drill instructors accommodation, usually facing the street. To the rear would be the drill hall itself. Occasionally more extensive accommodation was required, such as for battalion headquarters where interior rifle ranges, libraries, billiards rooms, lecture theatres and bars could all be included.

Category changed from B to C, statutory address and listed building record revised in 2016 as part of the Drill Halls Listing Review 2015-16. Previously listed as '124 McDonald Road, Former Territorial Army Administration Block'.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing
Wikidata IDs Q17795370 Q56632480

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