Former Drill Hall, Princes Street, Stirling, Stirling

Description

This 2-storey, 3-bay, approximately square plan, Scottish Baronial style former drill hall offices was designed by Ebenezer Simpson and built in 1892. It has been altered at various times including 1911 and 1935. In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: the hall at the rear.

These former drill hall offices are built of squared rubble with finely droved ashlar dressings and are situated in a conspicuous position at the upper end of Princes Street. The southwest (entrance) elevation has a crowstepped wallhead gable between broad twin tourelles and a moulded doorcase at the top of a short flight of steps. The doorcase is surmounted by a carved panel inserted in an arched aedicule. The carved letters '4 V B' (4th Volunteer Battalion) are in the pediment and there is a crest of the regiment (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) with a boar's head and a wild cat in the panel below flanked by the carved letters 'D M F'. The triangular pediment above the central first floor window bears the date 1892. The base of the tourelles are battered and there is a cill course with carved water spout features and an eaves course. The window architraves are mainly chamfered and the ground floor windows are mainly two-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows, while the first floor windows are 16-pane glazing in the upper sash and a single pane lower sash. There are grey slates on the roof and corniced chimney stacks with red clay cans.

The interior was seen in 2015. In the ground floor front rooms some late 19th century details survive including curved timber architraves to the windows with shutters and curved plaster cornices.

Statement of Interest

The former drill hall and headquarters of the 4th Volunteer Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders is a very good example of this building type and is one of the best detailed examples of a drill hall in central Scotland. The building was designed in 1892 by the prominent local architect Ebenezer Simpson and is designed in the Scottish Baronial style, which was used in a number of drill hall designs throughout Scotland because of its military connotations. The principal elevation has a wealth of good stonework details, such as carved panels, an imposing moulded doorcase and broad twin tourelles that dominate this elevation. It is in a commanding position at the top of Princes Street and makes a good contribution to this largely domestic street in this part of Stirling. In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: the hall at the rear.

A new drill hall in Stirling was first considered in 1891. In April of that year the first steps were taken toward erecting a 'suitable headquarters and drill hall for the regiment' (Falkirk Herald, 18 April 1891). In September 1859 the Stirling Volunteers (about 100 men strong) had been meeting for drill practice for about two months. (The Dunfermline Press, 29 September 1859). An earlier drill hall in Stirling had been within the precincts of the castle and as it was deemed unsightly it was taken down some time before the 1890s. The volunteers were offered a site in Princes Street and a subscription fund initiated shortly after. The building was to cost £2000, which is a relatively modest sum for a large hall. By comparison East Claremont Street Hall in Edinburgh, built in 1912, was to cost £7000, while a more standard one in a provincial town would usually cost about £1500.

This building was the headquarters and drill hall for the 4th Battalion of the Stirlingshire Rifle Volunteers. The building is dated 1892, but it is not yet clear when precisely the building was completed. In June 1893 a report appeared in the 'Stirling Observer' which indicated that the hall had been in use for some time, and the finishing touches may well have been being made in the autumn of 1892. In August 1892 Colonel D McFadyen, commanding officer of the 4th Battalion of the Stirlingshire Rifle Volunteers, was decorated for long service (he had been serving as a volunteer for 23 years at that time) and it may be in recognition of this that his initials 'DMF' were inscribed on the front of the building.

A report in the Scotsman of 7 March 1935, records that improvements were made to the building in 1935, including the installation of central heating, the replacement of the stone floor with a wooden floor and additional accommodation for a recreation room and sergeants' room.

This drill hall is possibly the first new building by Ebenezer Simpson (1854-1934) designed in independent practice, and he may have secured the commission because he was a keen volunteer. In 1889 along with Colonel McFadyen and various other officers representing the 4th Battalion he attended a reception for the Forth Volunteer Brigade given by The Lord High Commissioners at Holyrood Palace. Simpson was a captain with the 4th Stirlingshire Volunteer Battalion by 1892, and he was promoted to Major in 1900, by at least 1905 he had reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and by 1907 was Colonel and commanding officer of the Stirlingshire Rifle Volunteers.

In the late 1850s there was concern in the British Government about the Army's ability to defend both the home nation as well as the Empire. Britain's military defences were stretched and resources to defend Britain needed to be found. One solution was to create 'Volunteer Forces', a reserve of men who volunteered for part-time military training similar to that of the regular army and who could therefore help to defend Britain if the need arose.

In 1859 the Rifle Volunteer Corps (and Artillery Volunteers Corps in defended coastal towns) was formed and the Volunteer Act of 1863 provided more regulation on how the volunteer forces were run and it set out the standards for drills and a requirement for annual inspections. Most purpose-built drill halls constructed at this time were paid for by a major local landowner, the subscriptions of volunteers, local fundraising efforts or a combination of all three. The Regulation of the Forces Act 1871 (known as the Cardwell Reforms after the Secretary of State for War, Edward Cardwell) gave forces the legal right to acquire land to build a drill hall and more purpose-built drill halls began to be constructed after this date. The largest period of drill hall construction, aided by government grants, took place between 1880 and 1910. The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (known as the Haldane Reforms after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Haldane) came into force in 1908 and the various Volunteer Units were consolidated to form the Territorial Force. The construction of drill halls largely ceased during the First World War and in 1920 the Territorial Force became the Territorial Army.

In the 20th century changes in warfare and weaponry made many of the earlier drill halls redundant and subject to demolition or change to a new use. Around 344 drill halls are believed to have been built in Scotland of which 182 are thought to survive today, although few remain in their original use. Drill halls are an important part of our social and military history. They tell us much about the development of warfare and the history of defending our country. They also, unusually for a nationwide building programme, were not standardised and were often designed by local architects in a variety of styles and they also have a part to play in the history of our communities.

The requirements for drill halls were basic – a large covered open space to train and drill as well as a place for the secure storage of weapons. The vast majority of drill halls were modest utilitarian structures. Most drill halls conformed to the pattern of an administrative block containing offices and the armoury to store weapons along with a caretaker or drill instructors accommodation, usually facing the street. To the rear would be the drill hall itself. Occasionally more extensive accommodation was required, such as for battalion headquarters where interior rifle ranges, libraries, billiards rooms, lecture theatres and bars could all be included.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2016 as part of the Drill Halls Listing Review 2015-16. Previously listed as 'Drillhall, Princes Street (Front Building Only)'.

External Links

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