General site history
The camp at Shorncliffe originated from the key position of the site in relation to the Kent
coastline, which was always vulnerable to invasion from the Continent. During the Napoleonic
Wars the coastline was surveyed and the earlier defences found deficient. Shorncliffe Heights
was purchased in 1794 and the construction of a redoubt was begun, designed to provide a
look-out point and battery to defend the bay below. In subsequent years Martello towers and
other key military sites intended to provide additional security were constructed below the
redoubt and the area remained important for military defence. In the early years of the 19th
century, under renewed French threat, Sir John Moore established a training camp for Light
Infantry at Shorncliffe, providing troops who proved crucial to the success of the British against
Napoleon. At this stage the camp comprised little more than an open field, with temporary
buildings, put in place for seasons of training. Permanent training grounds for the army began to
be established in the 1820s (Newsome et al. 2009). From the 1850s, against the backdrop of
the Crimean War, the need for further permanent training grounds was acknowledged – the
first at Aldershot was laid out in 1858, with Shorncliffe and Colchester laid out soon afterwards.
Shorncliffe and Aldershot were first use to accommodate foreign troops (George and George
2004, 74). After the war the temporary wooden huts were retained, and used to provide
accommodation for the army during training exercises. An 1867 map of Shorncliffe shows the
hutting of the original camp laid out in grid patterns around the central parade ground. These
were split into 5 ranges, lettered from A to E. Around the perimeter road a series of ancillary
complexes are also shown, including a set of ‘permanent barracks’ to the north for the Royal
Artillery which was laid out in a courtyard plan, and more buildings to the west of the site –
including a church, the Royal Engineers Department and a complex labelled ‘Barrack
Establishments’. An 1873 shows a similar complex, although further buildings have been added
including the rackets court. The survival of this building, of stock brick, indicates that by this date
the camp was beginning to receive some buildings in more durable materials, perhaps initially
only for communal buildings or those which had more complex constructional requirements.
By the late 19th century the process of replacing the standard wooden accommodation huts
with blocks in a more durable material began. In 1880 Shorncliffe received the first concrete
barrack huts to be constructed in the country (Schofield 2006, 2). By the late 1880s brick
became the preferred construction material and, in a major programme of investment between
1890 and the turn of the century, most of the wooden huts were replaced by permanent
buildings forming Moore Barracks, Napier Barracks, Somerset Barracks, Ross Barracks and the
Royal Engineers Barracks (later Burgoyne; also incorporating some earlier buildings). These
appear to have followed a standardised design, modified in layout to fit the allocated space, with
the provision of parallel rows of barracks with a large officers’ mess and other ancillary buildings.
Despite this investment, the existing scale of the accommodation must have proved inadequate,
as by the first decade of the 20th century a further complex was added on land to the north of
the existing site. This formed Risborough Barracks, with the initial construction of c1904 of
brick service buildings and wooden huts. To the east an Army Ordnance Depot was laid out in
a series of construction phases from 1899 into the first decade of the 20th century.
Further expansion was undertaken in the First World War with the establishment of further
complexes on St Martin’s Plain, comprising Dibgate and St Martin’s Plain Camps. Schofield
(2006) records these as corrugated iron huts, and gives a date of 1915 for their construction.
Other additions around the time of the war include the service block to the east of Risborough
Barracks (dated 1914).
The temporary camps on the St Martin’s Plain site remained in use after the end of the war. St
Martin’s Plain Camp is shown on the 1938 OS, labelled as the Army School of Education. By
this date Risborough Barracks had also been upgraded, with brick blocks replacing the wooden
huts, a larger officers’ mess and a Regimental Institute. Schofield (2006) gives a date of 1933 for
the replacement of the wooden huts. To the west of Risborough Barracks a large building is
also shown on the 1938 map, this is labelled as a garage on one of the undated plans seen on
site. Further garages or stores were also built to the east on what is now Hillside Industrial
Estates (TR 20130 35923), including a large four aisle building with glass roof lights. Around the
outbreak of the Second World War the perimeter of the site was defended by a ring of
pillboxes, a number of which survive, and St Martin’s Plain was used as the base for anti-aircraft
batteries.
The largest phase of redevelopment after the Second World War was the construction of the
new Moore Barracks in the early 1960s. This included a Roman Catholic Chapel (now listed at
grade II), designed by Zbigneiw Piet of Westwood Piet and Partners in 1966-8 (Harwood 2003,
470; Anon 1969).
History of Burgoyne Barracks
The area around the main parade ground was originally laid out with a series of timber huts in
the mid-19th century, with the area which is now Burgoyne Barracks originally forming ‘C range’
(in a lettering system A-E). This is shown on the 1867 plan of the site, with the Royal Engineers
Department on the opposite side of the camp’s perimeter road.
South of ‘C range’ an open area indicated on the 1867 map was used to provide some of the
early communal buildings on the camp, in the form of sporting facilities. At some point
between 1867 and 1873 a Rackets Court and a Gymnasium were constructed on the site
(shown on a Royal Engineers plan of 1873 in the on-site archive and the Ordnance Survey map
of the same date), a ‘Court Martial Room’ is also labelled. It is possible this corresponds with a
building shown on the 1867 plan and may therefore have been a slightly earlier building. During
the late 19th century however the ‘Court Martial Room’ appears to have been demolished and
the space used for the erection of a water tower with a storage room underneath.
By the late 19th century the wooden hutments were evidently inadequate and in ‘C range’ some
huts were demolished and replaced by barrack blocks in permanent materials. This appears not
to have been part of a wholesale replacement, but instead to have formed a series of phases
throughout the late 19th century, each using different materials and designs. This area was
occupied the Royal Engineers (RE), who were responsible for the design and construction of all
army buildings, and who may have used their own barrack complex to experiment with
different building materials and forms. In this case the provision of accommodation was limited
(in comparison to the scale of the blocks laid out at Napier and Somerset in a later phase), but
a series of 4 blocks were built in concrete in 1880-81. Schofield (2006, 2) believes these are
the first concrete huts built by the military in the country, and that they were probably
constructed out of concrete blocks rather than shuttered concrete [to check dates of concrete
block use]. A further block, slightly detached from the main 4 is marked on early maps to the
south of these (now demolished). The 1907 plan indicates that this was also built of concrete
with a felt roof. The original construction plans for these blocks do not survive [to check R.E.
Journal for years 1880 – 81], but an 1899 plan of the Royal Engineers Barracks indicates that the
4 surviving blocks were used for a mixture of purposes by that date (NA WO 78/3402). The
southern two blocks provided standard quarters for men, with the blocks split into two rooms,
each housing 24 men. The block was entered from a central point, with a small room for an
NCO (with fireplace), an ablutions room and bathroom provided in a small central section and
the large rooms to either side. The next block to the north provided accommodation in its
eastern half (in the same arrangement as the southern blocks), but with a tailor, shoemaker,
shop and store provided in the western half. The northernmost block was a recreational
establishment providing reading room, billiard room, dining room and kitchens. The slightly
detached block to the south is marked as Staff Sergeant’s Quarters and Post Office on the 1899
plan, which may explain its distance from the standard blocks. By 1907 this was married
soldiers’ quarters.
In 1887 these blocks were added to with a further series of blocks to the west, between the
1880 blocks and the perimeter road. The 1899 plan indicates that these provided a canteen
and equipment store and married soldiers’ quarters. By 1907 plan they provided a canteen,
cook house, an NCOs’ mess (billiard room, reading room etc), company offices and various RE
stores, the married soldiers’ quarters having been moved (see above). These appear to have
been used in conjunction with the original RE offices provided on the western side of the
perimeter road.
Around 1901 a series of buildings were added to the area of the Rackets Court. These
incorporated an earlier wagon store (pre-1898), and provided a series of stores, although the
court itself appears to have remained in its original use. Surviving plans of 1904 show the
building of a large stables and harness complex, and a smaller stable for use by the CO and
other officers on the western side of the perimeter road (both now demolished; plans at NA
WO 78/3681).
A further plan of the site survives from 1907 (NA WO 78/3720). This shows that there had
been some reorganisation of the earlier buildings, and a significant number of new buildings had
been added. By the time of the 1907 plan wooden hutting indicated on the 1899 plan (north
of the surviving buildings) had been replaced by further offices and stores, including a courtyard
providing working space for carpenters, bricklayers etc with a Surveyor’s House attached. Thus
by the early 20th century the area provided a wide range of buildings for the various works of
the Royal Engineers, as well as accommodation.
In the mid-20th century the gymnasium was replaced by larger equivalent slightly further east. At
some point in the 20th century the Royal Engineers moved out, and the area was consolidated,
with the demolition of most of the offices and stores associated with their use of the area. This
appears to have included all of the buildings on the western side of the perimeter road, with the
possible exception of the building which was more recently the Garrison Nursery and Play
School (see template on Nursery area). The surviving buildings within the perimeter road no
longer provide accommodation but have been converted for use as offices and stores. The
gymnasium is still in use for its original purpose.
Description
The surviving buildings have been labelled on the accompanying plan of the site and brief
descriptions and construction dates (or date ranges) and early uses are given below.
A) Concrete barrack block 4 (NGR TR 19365 35554). Datestone in its eastern elevation, with
the initials R.E. and the date 1881. Shown on the 1899 and 1907 plans as a recreational
establishment with (from west to east), a reading room, billiard room, dining room and kitchen
area. It is a single-storey concrete building, rendered externally, with arch headed windows to
its end elevations and square headed windows and doorways to north and south. All windows
replaced with uPVC and external doors also appear modern, as does the slate roof. Interior
not seen, but changes in use suggest alteration.
B) Concrete barrack block 3 (NGR TR 19362 35541). Datestone in its eastern elevation, with
the initials R.E. and the date 1881. Shown on the 1899 and 1907 plan as providing
accommodation in its eastern half and shop and workshop space in the western half. It is a
single-storey concrete building, rendered externally, with arch headed windows to its end
elevations and square headed windows and doorways to north and south. All windows
replaced with uPVC and external doors also appear modern, as does the slate roof. Interior
not seen, but changes in use suggest alteration.
C) Concrete barrack block 2 (NGR TR 19360 35529). Datestone in its eastern elevation, with
the initials R.E. and the date 1881. Shown on the 1899 and 1907 plans as providing
accommodation in two main rooms, with a small central area providing a private room for an
NCO and space for bathroom and ablutions. Plan also shows distinctive semi-circular
projections from its southern elevation, possibly for latrines? It is a single-storey concrete
building, rendered externally, with arch headed windows to its end elevations and square
headed windows and doorways to north and south. All windows replaced with uPVC and
external doors also appear modern, as does the slate roof. Interior not seen, but changes in use
suggest alteration as does the number of doorways which do not correspond with the plan
form in 1907.
D) Concrete barrack block 1 (NGR TR 19359 35517). Datestone in its east and west
elevations, with the initials R.E. and the date 1880 and a further plaque numbering it 1 in the
sequence of buildings. Shown on the and 1899 and 1907 plans as providing accommodation in
two main rooms, with a small central area providing a private room for an NCO and space for
bathroom and ablutions. Plan also shows distinctive semi-circular projections from its northern
elevation, possibly for latrines? It is a single-storey concrete building, rendered externally, with
arch headed windows to its end elevations and square headed windows and doorways to north
and south. Surviving windows appear original but external doors appear modern, as does the
slate roof. Interior not seen, but changes in use suggest alteration, as does the number of
doorways which do not correspond with the plan form in 1907.
E) 1887 block (NGR TR 19315 35523) Datestone in east and west elevations gives the date
1887 set within a shield. 1899 and 1907 plans indicate that it was used as a canteen and tap
room with a Corporals’ Room at the eastern end. Single-storey range of stock brick, with bands
of red brick at the level of the window lintels and sills. In the longer (north and south)
elevations, the upper band also includes a decorative eaves course. Square headed windows
with reddened concrete (?) lintels formed to look like stone sections some with a central flower
motif but others plain. Evidence of altered plan form with inserted doorways etc. Modern
uPVC windows and a modern slate roof. Interior not seen, but external alterations suggest it
has been modified.
F) 1887 block (NGR TR 19294 35534) Orientated at right-angles to block (E). Datestone in
south elevation gives the date 1887 set within a shield. 1899 block plan labels this as married
soldiers’ quarters, but 1907 plan indicates that it was then used as the RE NCOs’ mess, with
(from north to south) billiard room, reading room, mess room and kitchens. Single-storey range
of stock brick, with red bands at the level of the window lintels and sills. In the longer (north
and south) elevations, the upper band also includes a decorative eaves course. Square headed
windows with reddened concrete (?) lintels formed to look like stone sections some with a
central flower motif but others plain. Evidence of altered plan form with inserted doorways etc.
Although of the same date and very similar form to (E) it has slight differences in detailing, for
example the end (north and south) elevations have only a band of red brick only one brick
deep at lintel level, which runs up and over the lintels rather than forming a band with them.
Small entrance porch, with benches, on the western elevation in different brick (shown on the
1907 plan). Early sash windows survive but a modern slate roof. Interior not seen, but external
alterations suggest it has been modified.
G) Rackets Court and attached buildings (NGR TR 19311 35489). This is a complex set of
buildings of various dates. The earliest is the Rackets Court to the south, which was built
between 1867 and 1872. This is of a large single-storey, with distinctive segmental gable ends.
The principal approach is from the east, with a centrally set main entrance and a clock set in the
gable end. This is also the only elevation with windows, three round headed windows at upper
level and two square headed windows flanking the door. The original window fittings appear to
survive. The main feature of the other elevations is the series’ of buttresses designed to support
the tall walls of the building, they are of stock brick on the two end elevations and red brick at
the sides. Disruptions to the brickwork on the south elevation appear associated with the
position of changing rooms built against the wall in the early 20th century and subsequently
demolished. To the north of the complex is another relatively early building, also originally
detached. This appears to have been constructed as a Waggon Store (labelled on the 1907
plan), open to the north. It is of red brick and relatively plain. To the rear (west) of the Rackets
Court is an attached red brick building with a datestone of 1901. This is marked as a Field
Store on the 1907 plan. Finally between the eastern ends of the Rackets Court and the
Waggon Store is a further single storey red brick building which links the two earlier buildings
together this is shown on the 1907 plan as a store with an office to the rear.
H) Gymnasium (NGR TR 19292 35489) Built after 1938 (does not appear on the published OS
map of that date), replacing the earlier (timber?) gymnasium which was slightly further west.
Single storey building rendered with roughcast concrete with high level windows. Flat roof
extension to the north.
I) Water tower (NGR TR 19328 35452) Appears on 1898 Ordnance Survey map, so built
some time before then and after the demolition of the ‘Court Martial Room’ shown on the
1872 map. Marked on the 1899 and 1907 plan as ‘Store (supply tank over)’. This must have
provided the water supply for the camp as piping is indicated running into and away from the
building in both plans. In order to provide a pressurised water system there must have been an
engine to pump water up into the tank, but this is not identified on either plan (although the
1907 plan does show an adjacent building housing a ‘traction engine’). An early photograph
(pre-1901; on the Coast of Conflict website [insert web address] also suggests that the building
originally had a small clock turret – this may correspond to the surviving decorated brackets still
visible on the eastern side of the tank. (1)

<1> English Heritage, 2012, Burgoyne Barracks, Shorncliffe Camp (formerly known as the Royal Engineers (R.E) Barracks) (Unpublished document). SKE56222.