Drill halls Options

[rogerpopeye]

Hi there Gwyn,

Found it in The Local History Section Batley Library in a 4 page paper on the Fire museum, I used to live only 600/700 yds from it and remember the TA parading in and out of the building, the approx time of closure for the drill hall was 1973/74, but I will find out from the Local Batley News for you.

After all the trouble I have had trying to get the images to yourselves my cousin resized them all for me and I just put this one on for tester.

I e-mailed them all to Graeme last night, but if you want to see the rest I will have another go at it.

Cheers Roger.

[Max]

Hello Roger

Was the drill hall at Batley just opposite Bank Foot Place/Street?, and do you know which unit paraded there around 1900?

Thanks

Andy

[rogerpopeye]

Hi there Andy,

You are about right there, and if memory serves me well next door to it was the National Spiritualist Church set back from the road in an old house.

Also if my memory isn't slipping I seem to remember them as H coy, 4th Battalion KOYLI(Teretorials) excuse the spelling getting tired now.

Cheers Roger.

[rogerpopeye]

Hello Roger

Was the drill hall at Batley just opposite Bank Foot Place/Street?, and do you know which unit paraded there around 1900?

Thanks

Andy

Hi again Andy,

Told you I was tired, miss read the date, I dont know about the early 1900's.

Cheers Roger.

[Max]

Many thanks for that Roger.

My GGrandad (see signature) was born at Bankfoot Place and I mused whether the close proximity of the drill hall encouraged him to join the Militia around 1900.

Thanks again

Andy

[Graeme Fisher]

Hello Roger

Was the drill hall at Batley just opposite Bank Foot Place/Street?, and do you know which unit paraded there around 1900?

Thanks

Andy

Hi Andy

My records show that in more modern times (1914) the unit was 'G' Company 4th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

Regards

Graeme

[rogerpopeye]

Many thanks for that Roger.

My GGrandad (see signature) was born at Bankfoot Place and I mused whether the close proximity of the drill hall encouraged him to join the Militia around 1900.

Thanks again

Andy

Hi there Andy,

Just been having a look at an old map of Batley and the Drill Hall was there in 1895 and in the 1891 Census there's a Colour Sergent, his wife and daughter in residence, at the moment thats the closest I have come to what you where asking.

I will try to dig some more out for you.

For 20 years I lived within about 600/700 yds of the Drill Hall but of course never took much notice of what was on the Boards outside as to who(Regiment) was inside, apart from the KOYLI as they used to go to the Church Steps pub after Rememberance Sunday Parade.

Cheers Roger.

[Max]

Thanks very much Roger and Graeme

[Charles Fair]

I have come across a picture of (part of) the Shellons Street DH in Folkestone. It was in use by the 8th (Cinque Ports) Battalion of the Home Guard in WW2. Email to follow in due course.
Charles

[Dragon]

Looking forward to seeing it, Charles. Thank you.

We still have some of your Kent material to load. It's not been forgotten, but I was away ...... in Kent. I have five more to add to the website. (Monckton [Maidstone], Ramsgate, Birchington, Lydd and Tenterden.)

Gwyn

[Charles Fair]

I went into the Folkestone Local Studies library today to look for OS maps of Folkestone.

1) No DH marked in Shellons St on maps of the late 1880s and 1907. The only possible thing on those maps was a Masonic Hall in an alleyway just off Shellons St. It will take a bit more digging to find out what has been going on here. Change of use for the Masonic Hall? New DH built post 1908?
2) However, both maps show the DH on 133 Dover Rd. I checked out the site and it has been demolished with a block of modern flats standing on the site today.
3) Also found another aerial photo of Sandgate castle.

Photos of the above to come in due course after my next visit.

Gwyn, I look forward to seeing what you have on Lydd, I was planning to check that out next time I am down on the Marsh. Anything on these that I can help follow up on?

[Dragon]

Thank you, Charles. We're very grateful.

Shellons Street is mentioned in Kelly, 1913 as a Drill Hall, so possibly your theory about post-1908 is correct. I've found a few instances where drill halls are not specifically marked on the maps (and some where I've found drill halls in places that aren't mentioned in the directories), so while they're extremely useful, they aren't the only proof of a drill hall's existence (or non-existence).

Lydd is complicated. I'm sending you an email.

I've revisited old-maps.co.uk and found that they've been very much developed recently, with a wider range of historical maps online. There are maps to 1938 and later, plus a decent gazetteer; and the image enlargement is much better, if painful at times. I shall be using the site to follow up information or locations.

Gwyn

[roger]

Bedale Drill Hall for sale

See it here

Select North Yorkshire from the Region menu and commercial from property type.

I wonder what will happen to it

Roger

[Dragon]

Thank you, Roger.

I believe that at one stage (2004) there was a planning application for a gymnasium, though I don't know what happened to that. It would be great if you could keep an eye on what happens.

I see you're in the region. Would it be convenient for you to take a photo or two, sometime, please? We'd be very grateful, as we don't seem to have a picture for Bedale DH on the database (unless I've missed it).

Gwyn

[Mark Cable]

There is a building next to Pevensey and Westham railway station in East Sussex with Drill Hall written on it. I don't know anything about it at all but if you like I can shoot down there and take a couple of photos for you.

Cheers
Mark

[Dragon]

Funnily enough we were 'talking' about Pevensey yesterday. Graeme knows more about that one than I do.

Yes, please! In addition, close ups of any plaques or stone work (eg the phrase 'drill hall' that you mention), or any individual details would be especially interesting.

Thank you!

Gwyn

[roger]

Gwyn,
I don't remember anything about a gym but I will try and let you know what happens.
It's no problem to take some photo's in fact I've seen some on the web. I'll get back to you if I find them again.

Roger

[roger]

Here we are second row from the bottom.
Here

let me know if you want aditional photo's Gwyn and I'll go and take some.

Roger

[Dragon]

We prefer to have independent photos if we can because then there are no problems of copyright. So if you would be able to take a picture or two sometime, that would be best of all. We really would appreciate it.

Looking at that page of photos, I see the DH in various photos. It seems a solid little place and well integrated in the street scene. I hope a use is found for it. I'm also curious about what Darwins was.

The information about the DH was acquired in 2004. It was a planning aplication: "Location: The Drill Hall, 4 Bridge Street, Bedale, North Yorkshire, DL8 2AD ... Date Registered: 12 May 2004. Proposal: Alterations and change of use from retail to a gymnasium."

You can view it here.

Clicking on Property details and then on Constraints, it's interesting to see that one constraint is Special planning policies apply here to ensure the character of the Conservation Area is maintained or enhanced. It also had prior PP for use as offices.

You can read even more by clicking on Associated Documents > View associated documents > selecting the Decision notice then allowing pop-ups. I'll try and link to that here.* It seems they care what it looks like and how it fits in with the Conservation Area.

Many thanks for your help and interest, Roger.

Gwyn

* The link doesn't work unless you allow pop-ups.

This post has been edited by Dragon: May 25 2007, 11:45 PM

[Mark Cable]

Went to Pevensey today and would you believe it? Scaffolding went up yesterday to repair the roof.....

I'll try to get some better ones when the scaffold comes down.

Here it is as of today.

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[Mark Cable]

It was this that gave me the clue that it might have been a drill hall......

Attached File(s)

 Pevensey_for_forum_2.jpg ( 99.5K ) Number of downloads: 0

 

[Mark Cable]

This isn't that easy to read in the photo. I think the inscription at the top was a number. It looks to me like a lower case th. so 6th, 5th, 999th?

The second line seems to end with RY Surrey perhaps? Or it could be saddlery.


The first word of the bottom row seems to have 'lion' in it. Battalion perhaps?

In any case I'd be interested to know.

If you want more photos or the original of these (They're about 4mb each so way over the size limit to post) PM me and let me know your email address and I'll shoot the over.

As soon as the scaffold comes down I'll have a hunt round and takes some more. I'll also try to pop back in the week and see if I can have a nose around inside.


Cheers
Mark


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Attached File(s)

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[roger]

Gwyn, I'll get some photo's taken sometime in the next week. That's interesting about the planning aplication.
I'm sure Darwins saleroom was once a chapel, Ill find out and let you know.

Roger

[Graeme Fisher]

Excellent photos, Mark.

The database suggests a drill station of the 6th Sussex Battery of the 2nd Home Counties Brigade RFA.

That makes sense of the inscription

Thanks

Graeme

[roger]

Here are the photo's of Bedale Drill Hall, taken this morning. Gwyn, Darwins used to be a Baptist Chapel erected in 1878.

Roger .