Former Band Block, Redford Cavalry Barracks, Colinton Road, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

A 2-storey, 23-bay, rectangular-plan, symmetrical former band block with central advanced gabled bays to the northwest and southeast elevations, designed by Harry B Measures and built between 1909 and 1915. It is situated at the rear of the Cavalry barracks Block and stables (listed at category A, LB 28009). The building is of dark, coursed rock-faced rubble with pale ashlar dressings. There are cill courses, a band course and eaves course. The windows have projecting cills. The windows are regularly spaced and the northwest elevation has round-arched entrance doorways flanking the central gable. There is a tripartite Diocletian window at the 1st floor level of the gables.

The windows are predominantly timber sash and case windows with small pane glazing in the upper sashes and 2-pane glazing in the lower sashes. There are grey graded slates and raised skews to the roof.

The interior was seen in 2016. There is a double-height space to the centre of the building with a gallery at one end with timber railings and with timber panelled doors below, which open to access the curved stairs. There are corridors and rooms leading off to either side of this room. There are several stone, dog-leg staircases with cast iron railings to the upper floors.

Statement of Interest

The former band block at Redford cavalry barracks is one of the key buildings in a complex of infantry and cavalry buildings which make up the extensive Redford barracks. The building is one of only a small number of purpose-built band blocks built in Scotland. The Redford barracks complex as a whole was the pinnacle of military building prior to the First World War. The building is little altered externally and largely retains its early 20th century appearance. Its survival gives an important and rare insight to the way our military was organised at the beginning of the 20th century.

Age and Rarity

The personnel involved in the military bands for regiments had their own accommodation, separate from the other ranks. There are two band blocks at Redford as the cavalry and infantry regiments had their own, separate bands. Music was an important part of military life in the barracks as sounds from a bugle or drum would signal the various activities during the day, including getting up and mealtimes. The only other known listed band block in Scotland dates to 1937-42 and is at Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh (listed at category C, LB49566).

Redford cavalry barracks was built to replace poor cavalry accommodation at Piershill in Edinburgh. Questions had been raised in Parliament in 1900 about the state of the accommodation at Piershill and, by 1909, the barracks there had been recognised as inadequate. As the military troops based in Edinburgh were also housed in cramped conditions at Edinburgh Castle, the decision was taken by the Government to build a new substantial complex incorporating barracks for both infantry and cavalry and including all the necessary associated buildings on the same site at Redford. Although on the same extensive site, the cavalry barracks (located to the east) and infantry barracks (located to the west) were administered separately.

The cavalry barracks were built to be home to the Royal Scots Greys regiment, who moved to Hounslow as their main base in 1937. Redford barracks was the largest barracks to be built in Scotland since Fort George in Inverness (1748-1769, Scheduled Monument SM6692). The Redford barracks was the most advanced of its type in Britain at the time and the best equipped, incorporating all the latest developments in training and accommodation. The barracks reflect the military confidence of Britain before the start of the First World War.

The magnitude of the building programme at Redford was so great that the builders, Colin MacAndrew Ltd, built their own railway to transport materials from the main line at Slateford. The Scotsman in 1914 noted 'there is no point at the extensive field at Redford where building operations are in progress which are not served by either the broad or narrow gauge railways'.

All of the cavalry buildings lying to the east of the entire barracks site and include a large barracks block with its associated stables, a guard house with its associated gates and gatepiers, a Commander in Chief's house and stables, (Balaclava House), the Officers' mess and stables, a former Sergeants' mess, a band block, an education block, which was originally a school and other auxiliary buildings including further stables, farriers and stores. The cavalry barracks originally included a riding school to the southeast, which is no longer in situ (2016). There were originally married quarters at the centre of the site, but these were demolished in the 1990s. The infantry barracks and all its associated buildings lie to the west of the site.

During the last quarter of the 19th century, the expanding British Empire required more personnel for its administration and its security. To help with the recruitment and training of soldiers, the Secretary of State for War, Edward Cardwell, introduced the Military Localisation Bill in 1872, which introduced new recruiting and training centres around Britain. The majority of the architectural design and planning was carried out by the Director of Design, Major H C Sneddon, and a number of standard types of barracks resulted. Local variations were possible, for example at the Cameron Barracks at Inverness, listed at category B (LB35340) where Scots Baronial architectural features are used. During this period the overall planning and layout of a barracks complex changed from a strict symmetry of buildings around a parade ground to placing the various buildings in the most sensible position according to function.

Up until the beginning of the 20th century, all military fortifications, including barracks were the responsibility of the Royal Engineers. This was reviewed from 1902 and as a result, a civilian department was formed in 1904 under the direction of the Director of Barracks Construction which was responsible for War Department buildings. The new director was Harry Measures. Measures had his own ideas about the design of barracks buildings and he instigated the bringing of various functions under the same roof which had previously had separate buildings. His first project was new cavalry barracks at Norwich, which he designed with all the ancillary and recreational functions in the ground floor of the building with residential accommodation above. This was never built but his ideas on design were realised at Redford.

Following the First World War and over the course of the 20th century, the practice of warfare and the organisation of the military changed. Military accommodation was updated and smaller residential units became standard. Horses were replaced by machinery and Redford cavalry barracks, was amongst the last of its type to be built on such a large scale. Only the Hyde Park Barracks in London, built by Sir Basil Spence in 1970 for the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment are comparable in size and scale. A number of cavalry barracks in Scotland were demolished in the 1960s, including at Maryhill in Glasgow and at Perth.

The former band block at Redford cavalry barracks is among a small number of buildings of its type, forming part of a complex of infantry and cavalry buildings which make up one of the largest barracks sites ever built in Britain. The building, while largely simple in its design has some architectural features which are in keeping with the group of buildings at this site. Redford barracks was the pinnacle of military building prior to the First World War and the complex as a whole is a rare survivor.

Architectural or Historic Interest

Interior

The interior features of the cavalry band block are simple which is typical for a functional military building. The small timber gallery in the central open space is not apparent in the band block associated with the infantry barracks.

Plan form

The rectangular plan form of the building, is a simple, symmetrical form.

Internally, the plan is of a large central space, with corridors to both side and rooms off. The central space would have been used for band practice, and was large enough to accommodate all the musicians.

Technological excellence or innovation, material or design quality

The external decoration in the former band building lies mostly in the detailing of the stonework. The stone used to build the barracks came from Black Pasture and Doddington quarries in Northumberland, which provided stone for a number of buildings in Scotland. The contrast between the smooth blond stone used in the margins with the rock-faced darker stone used in the rest of the building gives the building a characteristic appearance.

The central gables with their Diocletian windows to the upper floors are the only design features which break the long line of otherwise uninterrupted windows to both floors. The two entrance doorways are plain.

Harry Bell Measures (circa 1862-1940), was based in London and was the first (and only) holder of a new civilian post, Director of Barrack Construction, which was created in 1904 in order to free the Royal Engineers for other, more military, duties. He designed a number of stations for the Central London Railway, several of which survive as current London Underground stations, including Oxford Circus (listed at Grade II). In terms of barracks buildings, however, Douet (1998) suggest that Measures rethought the layout of barracks buildings and 'abandoned the long-entrenched principles of subdivision and separation of the various elements and functions'. Redford barracks appears to be one of the few barracks sites he completed with his only other large military building the New College at the royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, listed at Grade II (Ref no 1390374).

Setting

The former Band Block at Redford cavalry barracks is situated to the rear of the main Cavalry Barracks Block (listed at category A, LB 28009) and is one of the key buildings in a wider complex of military barracks buildings and their ancillaries that make up Redford Barracks.

Some of the earliest buildings in the Redford site, including the married quarters which lay to the west of this building have been demolished and replaced with modern military accommodation. The majority of the 1909-1915 buildings remainand the site as a whole is important in helping our understanding of the organisation of the military in the years leading up to the First World War.

The building lies within the Colinton Conservation Area.

Regional variations

There are no known regional variations.

Close Historical Associations

No close historical associations known at present.

As a major military base in Scotland, Redford barracks has provided accommodation and services for a number of Regiments which have been involved in the defence of the United Kingdom over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2017 as part of the Redford Barracks Listing Review. Previously listed as Colinton Road, Redford Cavalry Barracks With Officer's Mess, Balaclava House, Guard House, Gates, Gatepiers, Sergeant's Mess, Former Band Block, Education Block, Former Stables, Stores And Other Ancillary Buildings.

REDFORDCAVALRY18

External Links

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.