Officers' Mess and Stables, Bourlon Barracks

Reasons for Designation

Bourlon Barrack's Officers' Mess and stable block are designated at grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: as a very good example of the Neo-Georgian official style, developed by the War Office, carefully designed and well-executed in good materials * Historical: as a leading example of an officers' mess, erected during the per-WW2 period, which shows the Army's traditional approach to design (including the provision of stables) * Contextual: as part of the important Army complex at Catterick, showing the distinctive provision of quarters for commissioned officers, and for its group value with the associated Bourlon Barracks [qv]

Details

HIPSWELL

1198/0/10006 RISEWELL ROAD 19-MAY-09 CATTERICK GARRISON (Off) OFFICERS' MESS AND STABLES, BOURLON BA RRACKS

GV II Officers' Mess, 1938. Neo-Georgian style, Designs Branch of the War Office.

MATERIALS Red brick laid in stretcher bond. Westmoreland slate roof laid to diminishing courses with close mitred hips. Portland stone ashlar porch. Timber windows with exposed sash boxes and slim glazing bars.

PLAN C plan formed around a rear north facing service yard. The main central block has a central south facing porch opening into a central entrance/stair hall flanked by large reception rooms with bed-sitting rooms above. This central block is flanked by lower side wings that are slightly set back, the west wing having a further, smaller, reception room on the ground floor. Extending to the rear of these side wings there are cross wings completing the C plan. These have further bed siting rooms on the upper floor with various auxiliary rooms below.

EXTERIOR Central block of 11 bays, with set-back 3 bay end sections. A projecting stone entrance porch has arches to the sides, Doric columns and pilasters flanking the arched doorway within, containing glazed doors. Tall, 12/12 pane arch-headed windows to the ground floor of the central section with gauged brick heads; the rest of the windows are rectangular sashes, 12/12 pane to the first floor of the front, and 6/9 pane elsewhere. Triple windows to first floor front above the entrance. Rainwater goods dated 1938. Deep eaves, painted white. The hipped roof is of Westmoreland slate, laid in diminishing course. The side elevations have gauged brick arches to the ground floor windows. To the rear of the main block is a flat-roofed projection, with a tall, arch-headed window with side lights. The first floor glazed link and attached block to the east are not of special interest.

INTERIOR The interior fixtures and fittings are generally of good quality, and survive largely intact. The entrance stair hall which has parquet flooring, a pair of fluted, timber columns and a part glazed oak lobby screen with double entrance doors, is the most imposing space.

SUBSIDIARY BUILDING A short distance to the north west is a stable block built for the officers' horses. This is more utilitarian in design, although it is sympathetic to the design of the Officers' Mess also having a hipped roof of graduated Westmorland slate and windows with Georgian style glazing bars. The building is of 6 bays with a chimney at the north end and a raised ventilated ridge. Internally the stables retains its original surfacing and stalls. The adjacent range of garages is Post War and is not of special interest. HISTORY The surviving pre-war buildings at Bourlon Barracks were built from 1938 as part of Catterick's Second Reconstruction Plan: a major scheme of rebuilding permanent facilities at Gaza and Bourlon Barracks, totalling £1,000,000. The Officers' Mess cost £25,000 and is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of Catterick Camp published in 1939, although it may not have been completed by this date as the map does not show any access drives to the building. The next edition of the map, published 1941, does show the access drives in place as well as an associated stable block. The Officers' Mess at Bourlon is a good, well preserved example of Officers' Mess as built at many army barracks and RAF stations nationally in the 1930s. Its neo-Georgian style had been approved by the Royal Fine Arts Commission which had been charged with overseeing the design of new military building.

SOURCES "Catterick Camp - not to be published" Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 map 1939 "Catterick Camp - not to be published - War Department Revisions to December 1940" Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 map 1941 "History of Catterick Camp" Lt Col Howard Cole 1972 (Forces Press, Aldershot) REASON FOR DESIGNATION: Bourlon Barrack's Officers' Mess and stable block are recommended for designation at grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: as a very good example of the Neo-Georgian official style, developed by the War Office, carefully designed and well-executed in good materials * Historical: as a leading example of an officers' mess, erected during the per-WW2 period, which shows the Army's traditional approach to design (including the provision of stables) * Contextual: as part of the important Army complex at Catterick, showing the distinctive provision of quarters for commissioned officers, and for its group value with the associated Bourlon Barracks [qv]

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

505282

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Cole, H, The Story of Catterick Camp 1915-1972, (1972)

End of official list entry

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