Clare Street drill hall
Northampton
Clare Street drill hall
Clare Street drill hall is located in Northamptonshire
Clare Street drill hall
Clare Street drill hall
Location within Northamptonshire
Coordinates52°14′37″N 0°53′24″W / 52.24372°N 0.89001°W / 52.24372; -0.89001
TypeDrill hall
Site history
Built1859
Built forWar Office
In use1859-Present

The Clare Street drill hall is a military installation in Northampton, Northamptonshire. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

The building was designed in the Fortress Gothic Revival Style as the headquarters of the 1st Northamptonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps and completed in 1859.[1] The unit evolved to become the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment in 1887 and the 4th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment in 1908.[2] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to Gallipoli and, ultimately, to Palestine.[3] The Northamptonshire Yeomanry was also based at Clare Street at this time.[4]

The 4th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment converted to become the 50th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1940.[2] This unit evolved to become the 637th Regiment, Royal Artillery (The Northamptonshire Regiment) in 1945 and 585th (The Northamptonshire Regiment) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1947.[2] The presence at the drill hall was reduced to a single battery, R (The Northamptonshire Regiment) Battery, 438th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery in 1955.[2] The battery amalgamated with the 5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire regiment to form the 4th/5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment in 1961.[2] Following the cut-backs in 1967, the 7th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment was formed at the Clare Street drill hall in 1971.[5] The presence at the drill hall was reduced to a single company, D (Northamptonshire) Company, 4th/5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment, in 1978.[6] The presence at the drill hall was further reduced to a single platoon from C (Leicestershire and Northamptonshire) Company, the East of England Regiment in 1999 and from C (Leicestershire and Northamptonshire) Company, the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment in 2006.[7][8]

Current units

The following units are based at the barracks:

British Army[9]

Community Cadet Forces

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England. "Territorial Army Centre and drill hall (1375621)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Northamptonsire Volunteers". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 1 March 2006. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  3. ↑ "Northamptonshire Regiment". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Northampton". The Drill Hall Project. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  5. ↑ "4th/5th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 3 January 2006. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "7th Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 3 January 2006. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "The East of England Regiment and 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 3 January 2006. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  8. ↑ "TA Centre Northampton". Alamy. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  9. ↑ "Army Reserve Centre – Clare Street". Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "A flag raising ceremony marks 103 BATTALION REME arrival into Northampton". East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  11. ↑ "Leicestershire Northamptonshire and Rutland Army Cadets". Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "5F (Northampton)". Retrieved 17 April 2021.
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