Friars' Walk drill hall explained

Friars' Walk drill hall
Type:Military headquarters
Map Type:Staffordshire
Pushpin Map Caption:Staffordshire
Location:Stafford
Built:1913
Used:1913-1967

The Friars' Walk drill hall is a former military installation in Stafford.

History

The building was designed by Hanley, architects, as the headquarters of the Staffordshire Yeomanry and was completed in November 1913.[1] The drill hall also accommodated 6th Staffordshire Battery of the Royal Field Artillery (RFA).[1] The parade ground could be accessed by guns and horses through doors in Bailey Street.[2] The Staffordshire Yeomanry was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to Salonika.[3] The RFA battery served on the Western Front, initially with the 46th (North Midland) Division.[4]

After the defence cuts of 1967, which led to the transfer of the regimental headquarters to Wolverhampton, the drill hall was decommissioned and converted for use by the maintenance department of Staffordshire County Council.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Stafford. The Drill Hall Project. 23 December 2017.
  2. New drill hall at Stafford, Lichfield Mercury, 14 November 1913
  3. Web site: The Staffordshire Yeomanry. The Long, Long Trail. 22 October 2017.
  4. Web site: 46th (North Midland) Division . The Long, Long Trail. 1 May 2018.