Former Clock Tower and Offices, Marine Gate the Armoury, the Drill House and the Clocktower the Colonnades

FORMER CLOCK TOWER AND OFFICES, MARINE GATE, CROMWELL ROAD

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1387048
Date first listed:
25-Sept-1972
List Entry Name:
Former Clock Tower and Offices, Marine Gate the Armoury, the Drill House and the Clocktower the Colonnades
Statutory Address:
FORMER CLOCK TOWER AND OFFICES, MARINE GATE, CROMWELL ROAD
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Date:
2004-10-07
Reference:
IOE01/12755/28
Rights:
© Mr Glyn Edmunds . Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1387048
Date first listed:
25-Sept-1972
Date of most recent amendment:
18-Mar-1999
List Entry Name:
Former Clock Tower and Offices, Marine Gate the Armoury, the Drill House and the Clocktower the Colonnades
Statutory Address 1:
FORMER CLOCK TOWER AND OFFICES, MARINE GATE, CROMWELL ROAD
Statutory Address 2:
THE ARMOURY, THE DRILL HOUSE AND THE CLOCKTOWER, CLOCK TOWER DRIVE
Statutory Address 3:
THE COLONNADES, ROYAL GATE

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
FORMER CLOCK TOWER AND OFFICES, MARINE GATE, CROMWELL ROAD
Statutory Address:
THE ARMOURY, THE DRILL HOUSE AND THE CLOCKTOWER, CLOCK TOWER DRIVE
Statutory Address:
THE COLONNADES, ROYAL GATE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
City of Portsmouth (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
SZ 66570 98797

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

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
474464
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Lloyd, D, The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, (1985), 430

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Former Clock Tower and Offices, Marine Gate the Armoury, the Drill House and the Clocktower the Colonnades

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 16-Jun-2026 at 13:18:00.

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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