13 replies to this topic

[Medic7922]

While taking a elderly patient to Hospital today we passed the Holiday Inn on the Lower Bristol road in Bath, The elderly patient exclaimed there is the old Drill Hall where she went for Tea Dances, the building stands on the corner of Brougham Hayes and The Lower Bristol road and I can recall it was used as a garage for the Police Traffic unit for many years but never realised it was an old Drill Hall, has anybody any idea what units or regiments used the building during WW1 as I believe it is pre 1914 era, part of the stone structure still exists and the elderly patient who mentioned a large wooden structure was behind the Drill Hall.

[Malcolm Linham]

Medic

I believe your elderly patient is wrong, Andrew Swift wrote in his book " All Roads Lead to France, Bath and the Great War" that the colours of the 4th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry were laid up in the Guildhall on the 21st August 1914 because the Drill hall was going to be demolished.
On the 24th July 1915 the Mayor opened the new drill hall.

The units that Andrew Swift mentions are obviously the 4th batt SLI and the North Somersst Yeomanry.

I have a 1902 map of Bath which shows the drill hall to be in the approximate location of the the Holiday Inn, backing onto the boundry of the Churchyard, thier is a very small building shown on the corner of Brougham Hayes with the Lower Bristol Rd, which if I remember rightly according to the Post Office book was a small shop.

To my knowledge the old part that you refer to as being a garage for the Police was never used by them, it retained staff cars and the like for the
Admiralty.

Hope this helps

Malcolm

[Medic7922]

Cheers for that Malcolm, The Avon & somerset Police did use the site for there Traffic unit for a number of years,( My mate was stationed there) the building is fairly large and there is a large wooded garage door facing Brougham Hayes so I believe it all thats now left of the Drill Hall, by the way my Elderly patient was very insistent it was a Drill Hall as she has lived in Bath for over 90 years, so I bow to her local knowledge.

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Medic

I attended Brass Band Concerts there in the 1960s.  It is shown on a map of 1965 in The Illustrated Road Book of England and Wales published by the AA. If you would like a copy please PM me your e-address as it loses clarity when reduced to forum size.

Dave

Attached Files

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[Malcolm Linham]

Medic,

As your elderly patient is only 90, the drill hall that she can remember is the new one that was opened by the Mayor in 1915.
Not the original one that the 4th Somerset's and the NSY left for the war in 1914.

I still stand by my comments re the old building and its use by the Admiralty.  I was a Police officer  stationed at Bath between 1982 - 1990.

Best wishes

Malcolm

[BMoorhouse]

The new territiorial drill hall must surely be the one that is on the Upper Bristol Road, still currently in use.

In my experience, Andrew Swifts book is not always accurate and contains a few 'assumptions'.

Regards,

Brendon.

[Malcolm Linham]

Brendon

Thank you for your reply,  I believe in this case that Andrew Swift is right.
In his book he talks of the 1st  Field Company of the Wessex Royal Engineers parading at the Drill Hall on the Upper Bristol Rd.
On my 1902 map of Bath it shows both drill halls on the Lower & Upper Bristol Rd, it also  shows a third on river bank of the Avon on the Upper Bristol
Rd side by the Victoria Suspension Bridge.

I feel some more research coming on, next time I get to the Bath Library.

Malcolm

[Medic7922]

The area that the Drill Hall is situated is I am to believed to have been badly Bombed during the Baedeker raids on Bath during WW2, is there any information that the Drill Hall was hit or damaged ?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baedeker_Raids

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Gents

See PAL Graeme's Drill Hall Project:

http://www.drillhalls.org/Counties/Somerset/TownBath.htm

Dave

[Malcolm Linham]

Medic

If you check http://www.bathblitz.org/maps this takes you to a bomb plot map.

It would appear that 2 bombs fell the other side of the road of the Drill Hall on the Lower Bristol Rd ( Sainsbury site )
There are a number of bombs that fell on the Upper Bristol rd but I don't think any would have effected the Drill Hall.

Cheers

Malcolm

Ps, Dave thank you for the link.

[Alan Curragh]

A slight correction to Malcolm's post above - the link should be http://www.bathblitz.org/ then click on "locations", followed by "maps"

Alan

[Medic7922]

A slight correction to Malcolm's post above - the link should be http://www.bathblitz.org/ then click on "locations", followed by "maps"

Alan

Thanks you all for the information, My crewmates & Myself  are now looking at  Bath in a new way now not just looking at its Georgian Heritage, but where the bombs fell and see the damage on the buildings which is still visible in some places,Sad but enjoyable   

[kiwipom]

Thanks you all for the information, My crewmates & Myself  are now looking at  Bath in a new way now not just looking at its Georgian Heritage, but where the bombs fell and see the damage on the buildings which is still visible in some places,Sad but enjoyable

 282200.jpg   56.47K   0 downloads

Perhaps you remember this? Demolished 1969 and described as 'Entrance to T A Headquaters, Lower Bristol Road. Army Barracks from 1860"

From the website www.bathintime.co.uk

From the Drill Hall projects page it says "Prince Alberts Somersetshire Light Infantry, 1st Volunteer Battalion A, B, E, & F Coys."
Lower Bristol Road

I recall several of my fellow apprentices from S & P being in the T.A. based there in the early '60's.

Kiwipom

[nf3996]

Was this ever resolved? I shall be in Bath this coming weekend and I'd like to see if anything is left of the original drill hall in Upper Bristol Road. My great-great uncle, Sergeant Alfred Ernest Cleall of the North Somerset Yeomanry, would have paraded there many times before setting off for Flanders in 1914.

Alan