Details
PORTSMOUTH
SZ6698NE CROMWELL ROAD, Eastney
774-1/27/145 (East side)
25/09/72 Former Clock Tower and offices,
Marine Gate
(Formerly Listed as:
CROMWELL ROAD, Eastney
The Clock Tower, Eastney Barracks)
GV II
Includes: The Colonnades ROYAL GATE.
Includes: The Armoury, The Drill House and the Clocktower
CLOCK TOWER DRIVE.
Also known as: The Water Tower CROMWELL ROAD Eastney.
Offices and water tower with clock, at RM Eastney Barracks,
now flats. 1862-7, probably designed by William Scamp, for the
Admiralty Works Department, with tower 1870-71; converted
1995. Red brick, clock tower in English bond, otherwise in
Flemish bond. Brighter-red-brick arches and ashlar dressings.
Slate roofs with tall, corniced, brick stacks.
PLAN: main L-shaped range: east-west range (The Clock Tower
and The Drill House) has clock tower near west end.
North-south range (The Colonnade) has colonnade along east
side. A parallel west-east range (now The Armoury) is situated
to its north side.
EXTERIOR: The clock tower: water tower is in castle style
having lower 3 storeys battered; ashlar band below 1st floor,
string below 3rd floor, mock-machicolation below 5th floor and
eaves cornice; corbelled turret rising above eaves with
conical stone cap. Pyramidal roof with iron balustraded flat
top, pedimented dormers (one to each side) and cross-corner
chimney each with coupled flues framing on arch. Round-arched
door, now a window, up flight of stone steps on west side.
Round-arched windows, closely set and narrower on 3rd floor;
small circular windows set in a recessed panel on 4th floor;
on 5th floor, blind roundels and a central clock to each side.
On east side a narrow lower bay, on south side having a blind
ground-floor opening and a narrow round-arched window to 1st
and 2nd floors.
Former offices (The Armoury, The Drill House & The
Colonnades): have rusticated quoins; plat bands; 1st floor
lintel bands to 2 east-west ranges; eaves bands; stepped
eaves. Openings have segmental arches, except north-south
range which has round arches on ground floor and flat arches
above. Windows have small-paned sashes or fixed lights.
Panelled doors, some double, below overlights with glazing
bars.
The Armoury (north range) has 11-bay north elevation arranged
3:5:3 with end sections projecting and 2-bay return elevation.
The Drill House (parallel range to south) has 2-bay end (east)
elevation with gable treated as pediment, stone kneelers and
cornice. The south elevation of this range is stuccoed, scored
as ashlar, with 7 windows on 2nd floor.
The Colonnade (east elevation of the north-south range) is set
back slightly, 5 + 5 bays, the left section projecting
slightly. The colonnade has wider arches to left-hand section,
rusticated brick quoins, piers and arches, and ashlar cornice
below coped parapet.
INTERIOR not inspected.
HISTORY: a striking tower, necessitated by the low-lying
position of the barracks. William Scamp was assistant director
of the Admiralty Works Department and associated with the
Royal Dockyards at this time. The carefully laid out site
beside the seashore reflects its use by Marines; it is also
probably the last large defensible barracks in the country.
Part of the most complete English barracks of the post-Crimean
War period.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd D: Hampshire and
the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1985-: 430).
Listing NGR: SZ6658898977
