| Church Street drill hall | |
| Type: | Drill hall |
| Map Type: | East Sussex |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Sussex |
| Location: | Brighton |
| Built: | 1890 |
| Used: | 1890-1967 |
| Built For: | War Office |
The Church Street drill hall is a former military installation in Brighton. It is a Grade II listed building.
The building was designed by Edmund Scott as the headquarters of the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment and was completed in 1890.[1] This unit evolved to become the 6th (Cyclist) Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment but moved to Montpelier Place in Brighton before the First World War.[2]
Meanwhile, the Sussex Imperial Yeomanry had been located at the Church Street drill hall from their re-formation in 1901.[3] [4] The regiment was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to Gallipoli and, ultimately, to the Western Front.[5] After the First World War, the unit converted to artillery and was reduced to battery size, becoming 389 (Sussex Yeomanry) Battery, the 98th (Sussex Yeomanry) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.[3]
After the Second World War, the battery was reformed as P Battery, 344th (Sussex Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft and Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery and then as P Battery, 258th (Sussex Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1955.[3] After the defence cut-backs of 1967, the drill hall was decommissioned and became a Royal Mail sorting office. It was grade II listed in April 1995. More recently, it has been used as an antiques warehouse.[6]