Listed Building: CITY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY (1103840)

Barracks, now City Museum and Art Gallery. 1893, designed under Lt-Colonel R Dawson-Scott RE, for the War Office; converted 1973. Red brick in Flemish bond with stone dressings. Plain tiled roofs, moulded brick stack with oversailing brick cap on each side of bays 3 and 15 and to each side of centre part, 2 similar external grouped brick stacks to each 3-storey link part. French Chateau style. PLAN: axial plan of double-depth rooms. EXTERIOR: 4 storeys with 3 storey links. 17 bays (2/1/3/1/1/1/1/1/2/1/1/1/1/1/3/1/2). A richly decorated range on 4 sides; elevation facing Museum Road has projecting centre part with on left and right a 2-leaf glass entrance door set under segmental brick arch recessed behind opening with stepped brick jambs and segmental arch, flanking octagonal brick buttresses each with stone coping. Quoin buttresses run through to second floor and inner buttresses to fourth floor. At centre are 3 recessed 12-pane sashes each set under gauged brick segmental arch with splayed brick jambs. Brick plinth running through elevation. Brick band, pierced brick parapet between buttresses with stone coping. First floor has at centre paired 2-leaf 8-pane recessed casements divided by stone Gothic column, similar single casement to left and right each with pointed fanlight with timber grille set under pointed stepped brick arch and jambs, stone sill, outer casements have deep stepped stone sills. Brick band course, second floor brick sillband and three 12-pane recessed sashes each set under gauged brick cambered arch, splayed brick jambs, stone sill. Similar 18-pane sash to left and right. Stone band, facing stone coped gable with spaced stone steps. Set within gable are 3 small 2-pane recessed casements each set under gauged brick cambered arch, stone band below sill, recessed brick apron. Gable has date stone 1897 and brick relief of Royal Coat of Arms set under flat pointed brick arch with stone apex. Left and right returns: each have 16-pane fixed casement, first floor 4-pane fixed casement and second floor a 12-pane sash, each set under gauged brick cambered arch, octagonal stone eaves turret supported on oversailing brick base. On left and right of centre part is a 3-storey link block 4 bays wide with four 18-pane recessed sashes each set under gauged brick cambered arch with splayed brick jambs, stone sill. Brick sillband at first floor. First and second floors have 4 similar 18-pane sashes, first floor has brick label and each second floor sash is set within a facing semi-dormer stone coped gable. To left and right of link blocks is a square projecting tower with 3 narrow 5-pane unequal sashes each set under gauged brick cambered arch with splayed brick jambs. First, second and third floors each has 3 similar sashes with brick sillband, first floor sash has brick label. Machicolation and pyramidal roof with ornate iron finial. To left of left tower and right of right tower is a recessed bay with C20 door and 4-pane fanlight set under stepped brick segmental arch and jambs. Brick sillband at first floor with 18-pane recessed sash set under gauged brick cambered arch, stone sill and brick label. Second floor has similar sash without label and third floor has narrow recessed 12-pane sash set under flat stone arch, splayed brick jambs, facing stone coped gable. On far left and far right each end bay projects with paired narrow 12-pane recessed sashes, each set under gauged brick cambered arch. Projecting brick strip from window head running through to second floor. First, second and third floors have similar recessed sashes, with brick sillbands and each set under flat stone arch, facing stone coped gable with stone bands. South facing front is similar but has round towers flanking inner sides of gabled end blocks and to left and right of centre part, each with conical roof and iron finial. Centre part has large canted stone mullioned oriel supported on heavy stone brackets over entrance. Open relieving arch above screening recessed second floor, machicolation and crenellated parapets. INTERIOR: plain, contains large open well stairs with iron balusters. HISTORY: part of the very large Clarence and Victoria barracks for infantry and artillery, built from 1885, of which this was almost certainly the officers' quarters fronting the parade square behind. Nothing more survives. Built under the Military Works Act, and one of the few surviving from an area just outside the former Portsmouth Lines which had a large concentration of barracks in the C19. A unique design unrelated to other English barracks, almost all of which were at this time strongly standardised in their planning and architecture. One of the most striking examples of the French Chateau style in the country. (Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 84 AND 85). Selected Sources Book Reference - Author: Lloyd, DW - Title: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs - Date: 1974 - Page References: 84 AND 85