Phoenix Street drill hall, Lancaster explained

Phoenix Street drill hall
Type:Drill hall
Map Type:United Kingdom Lancaster Central#Lancashire
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Lancaster##Location within Lancashire
Location:Lancaster
Built:1894
Used:1894-1990
Built For:War Office

The Phoenix Street drill hall is a former military installation in Lancaster, Lancashire.

History

The building was designed as the headquarters of the Lancaster Rifle Volunteers and completed in 1894.[1] The building was partially converted into barracks in early 1900 for fifty volunteers who were going to South Africa to fight in the Second Boer War as part of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Lancaster Regiment. The volunteers were drawn from Barrow-in-Furness, Lancaster and Ulverston.[2]

This unit evolved into the 5th Battalion the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) in 1908.[3] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to the Western Front.[4] The battalion was redesignated the 4th/5th (Territorial) Battalion The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) at the drill hall in 1961.[5] The battalion was reduced to a cadre in 1969 but reconstituted as the 4th (Territorial Army) Battalion of the King's Own Royal Border Regiment in 1975. After the battalion moved to Alexandra Barracks at Caton Road in Lancaster in 1990, the drill hall was decommissioned[6] and is now used as a church.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Records of the 1st/5th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. King's Own Royal Regiment Museum, Lancaster. 5 July 2017.
  2. News: 8 February 1900 . The Volunteers . The Manchester Guardian . 8.
  3. Web site: King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster). Regiments.org. 5 July 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20060104054136/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/004KORR.htm. 4 January 2006.
  4. Web site: The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). The Long, Long Trail. 31 May 2016.
  5. Web site: 5th Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment. Regiments.org. 5 July 2017. bot: unknown. https://web.archive.org/web/20051122180128/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-england/vinf-no/cu-KO45.htm. 22 November 2005.
  6. Web site: Soldiering on since 1797. 12 March 2008. Lancaster Guardian. 5 July 2017.
  7. Web site: The King's Community Church, Lancaster . King's Community Church. 5 July 2017.