Joint Cadet Centre, High Street, Forres, Forres, Moray

Description

Designed by Charles C Doig in 1909-10, this drill hall comprises a 2-storey with gables breaking wallhead, 3-bay front block with a double height hall behind and a later single storey, rectangular plan rifle range adjoining the rear. It is constructed in rock faced sandstone with ashlar margins. The central bay of the principal elevation is slightly advanced and the gablehead has a carving of a stag's head and scroll with the inscription 'GUIDICH 'N RICH' over another, larger scroll with the inscription '6TH BATTN SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS'. The bay to the right of the centre has bipartite windows with a stone mullion and there is a blank shield in the gablehead. There is a base course and string course between the ground and first floor, and the gables are shouldered with cavetto moulded skewputts. The rifle range (built after 1938) is constructed in rubble stone, with a rendered gable facing North Road and has a corrugated roof and ventilators. There are two brick lean-to extensions to the rear of the drill hall and the east elevation of the rifle range.

The windows are predominantly a 4-pane upper sash over plate glass in timber frames. The roof is pitched and slated and there are coped wallhead stacks, straight skews and moulded skewputts. The rainwater goods are predominantly cast iron with decorative brackets.

The interior, seen in 2015, comprises offices in the front block, with a staircase with turned timber balusters and newel posts, and a hall to the rear with a timber boarded ceiling supported on metal trusses. The hall and circulation spaces have timber boarding to the dado rail. The roof of the rifle range to the rear is supported on timber trusses.

Statement of Interest

Dating to 1909-10 Forres Joint Cadet Centre was constructed in the period immediately after the Territorial Forces Act 1907, which triggered the first signs of standardisation of drill hall architecture, particularly the 'domestic style'. Designed by the Elgin based architect, Charles C. Doig, Forres drill hall is a notable example of a drill hall from this period because of its good stonework, particularly to its principal elevation. The carvings to the central gablehead are the motifs and mottos associated with the battalion for which it was built for and therefore a clear indication of the building's function. With the exception of the addition of the rifle range and some brick structures to the rear, Forres drill hall is largely unaltered in its principal elevation, interior and plan form and remains in military use.

Forres Joint Cadet Centre was constructed shortly after the 1908 reorganisation of the Territorial forces, brought about by the Territorial Forces Act 1907. A newspaper article from 1907 reports that a bazaar was held to raise funds for a drill hall for A and H Companies of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Seaforth Highlanders (Aberdeen Journal, 1907). This article describes the proposed accommodation as an armoury, gymnasium, recreation rooms and miniature shooting range. It was hoped that a new facility would attract more men from Forres and the surrounding areas to volunteer.

The building was designed by Elgin based architect, Charles C Doig, in 1909 and a newspaper account from 1910 records that the building was officially opened on the 3 March 1910 by Brigadier-General Forbes Macbean and cost around £1300 (Aberdeen Journal, 1910). The 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey Map (surveyed 1904) shows an earlier rectangular plan building, marked as a drill hall, to the north corner of the site. This building is likely to have remained in use when the 1909 drill hall was constructed as it is still shown on the 3rd Edition Ordnance Survey Map (surveyed 1938). After 1938 this earlier hall was demolished and a rifle range was constructed to the rear of the drill hall. In 1914 the building was the drill station for "E" Squadron of the 2nd Scottish Horse and also used by "A" Company of the 6th Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders.

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 was 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 are were paid for by a major local landowner, the subscriptions of volunteers, local fundraising efforts or a combination of all three. The Regulations 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.

Listed in 2016 as part of the Drill Halls Listing Review 2015-16.

External Links

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