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Greater London, City Of Westminster, Westminster, Birdcage Walk, Wellington Barracks

Barracks (Period Unassigned), Stable(S) (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Greater London, City Of Westminster, Westminster, Birdcage Walk, Wellington Barracks

Classification Barracks (Period Unassigned), Stable(S) (Period Unassigned)

Canmore ID 284757

Site Number TQ27NE 11

NGR TQ 2930 7950

NGR Description Centred on TQ 2930 7950

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/284757

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Not Applicable
  • Parish Westminster
  • Former Region Greater London
  • Former District Westminster
  • Former County Greater London

Sir Basil Spence

Building Notes

When it was announced that Knightsbridge Barracks were to be demolished and rebuilt, Sir Basil Spence OM RA was commissioned to design six blocks of temporary accommodation so that the Cavalry could remain in London. The accommodation comprised of stabling for the two regiments (Blocks A and B), a riding school (Block C), veterinary lines (Block D), a forge and shoeing shop (Block E), and forage barn (Block F). These were placed irregularly amongst the existing buildings at the Wellington Barracks site.

In the design of all the new blocks an emphasis was placed on the temporary nature of the buildings. They had to be durable and pleasing to the eye, but more importantly, easily removed when no longer needed and, if possible, able to be resold which is why they were built of a lightweight, though strong, timber frame construction with infill panels. The blocks were sold as stabling to Newmarket and the temporary riding school was also sold for ongoing use.

Work started in January 1965 and was completed by June, with the horses in their accommodation by August of the same year.

Archive Details

The manuscript material in the Sir Basil Spence Archive reveals that a Victorian circus building at Petty France on the south of the site, was demolished to make way for the new blocks. It had been earmarked for conversion into stabling for the horses, but the condition of its metal structure meant that demolition was a more appropriate solution.

The engineers, Ove Arup and Partners, considered the Riding School, Block C, to be the ‘piece de resistance’ of the temporary stabling project. The photographs in the Archive show that the walls were designed to rake outwards in order to prevent riders’ legs from being injured.

The Archive also includes an article in the 'Arup Journal', which explains that the decision to house the Cavalry at Wellington Barracks did not please the footguards because they had to "cede their quarters to the 'mounties".

Archive Summary

The Archive holds six files, which relate to the building of the temporary stabling at Wellington Barracks. Information about the project is also contained in the Hyde Park Cavalry Barracks manuscript files. There are also 27 photographs and 87 drawings relating specifically to the stabling.

This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.

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