History and description of the site:
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 temporary buildings, put in place for seasons of
training. From the 1850s, against the backdrop of the Crimean War, the need for permanent
training grounds was acknowledged – the first at Aldershot was laid out in 1858, with Shorncliffe
and Colchester laid out soon afterwards. An 1867 map of Shorncliffe shows the hutting of the
original camp laid out in grid patterns around the central parade ground. These original
buildings appear to have comprised timber huts, and while some survived into the 20th century,
all were eventually replaced. 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 is 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’. The 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 service buildings etc 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 huts to be constructed in the country (Schofield 2006, 2).
By the late 1880s however 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 brick blocks forming Moore Barracks, Napier Barracks, Somerset Barracks,
Ross Barracks and the Royal Engineers Barracks (later Burgoyne; although this also incorporated
some earlier blocks). 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 the Army Ordnance Depot was laid out
in a series of construction phases from 1899 into the 1900s.
Further expansion was undertaken in the First World War with the establishment of a further
complex on St Martin’s Plain. Schofield (2006) records this as corrugated iron huts, and gives a
date of 1915. Other additions around the time of the war include the service block to the east
of Risborough Barracks (dated 1914).
The St Martin’s Plain complex 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.
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, designed by
Zbigneiw Piet of Westwood Piet and Partners in 1966-8 (Harwood 2003, 470).
History of Sir John Moore Barracks
The area around the main parade ground was originally laid out with wooden huts in the mid-
19th century, probably reflecting the arrangement of temporary tents in the early 19th century.
The huts were organised in a series of ranges, labelled A to E. By the late 19th century the
wooden huts were clearly inadequate, and following the 1890 Barracks Act, and the availability
of funds to build permanent barrack buildings the wooden huts were systematically replaced. A
plan for the original layout and design of Sir John Moore Barracks survives in the National
Archives (WO 78/3541) dated 1897. The late 19th century Sir John Moore Barracks was
constructed on the area that had been the ‘A’ range of wooden huts. A further plan (WO
78/3658) shows the complex in 1908. As constructed the complex appears to have been
similar in plan and design to the surviving complex of Napier Barracks, and to the now
demolished complex at Somerset. It comprised single storey barrack blocks of two rooms
housing 48 men, with an associated officers’ mess and communal buildings. The 1908 plan
shows minor modifications to some of the buildings, but in general the buildings appear to have
continued to be used until they were demolished in the 1960s. To the west the site of ‘B’
range became the Staff Lines, although there are no surviving plans for the buildings in this area,
perhaps because they were built on a more piecemeal basis. Early 20th century plans indicate
that the area included some hospital accommodation in pavilion wards, tennis courts and
brigade offices. The layout of these buildings suggests that they were of various dates, built
according to requirement.
A new Sir John Moore Barracks was constructed in the late 1960s (completed 1969) by a
civilian architectural practice Westwood, Piet and Partners. These used the space occupied by
the earlier Moore Barracks, but also that of the Staff Lines and the previously open ground to
the north of Moore Barracks (the eastern side of the parade ground). Some earlier blocks were
retained, a few pre-1907 buildings appear to have survived towards the west of the site, near
the Redoubt. Some earlier blocks also survived on the eastern side of the parade ground.
These appear to date from the 1930s – with some sources suggesting they were barrack
accommodation constructed in 1937 (see Anon 1969a).
This much more extensive area was used to hold a junior infantry regiment comprising boys of
15 or older who joined the army and were trained prior to passing into full infantry regiments at
17½. As well as accommodation blocks, a general reorganisation of the area to the east and
south of the parade ground provided ancillary buildings for the junior regiment, including offices
for the commanding officer, officers’ mess, sergeants’ mess and swimming pool. A Roman
Catholic chapel was built to the north of the site, close to the guardhouse. This was designed
personally by one of the partners, Zbigneiew Jan Piet (or Pietruszewski) who was of Polish
origin and a devout Catholic (now listed UID 1380076 grade II). This also had public access so
that Catholics in the area could attend the services. The complex received critical attention at
the time. The designs were praised for their ‘structural honesty’ in displaying elements such as
the concrete floor slabs which were exposed on the exterior of the building rather than being
hidden behind brickwork (Anon 1969b 565-82). Many of the communal structures remain,
although the accommodation blocks have been replaced, presumably when the junior regiment
was no longer required, and the purpose of the area changed to a standard barracks. It may be
worth noting that the current Ordnance Survey mapping also indicates the survival of some
buildings associated with this scheme on land south of Martello Road, which is now in private
ownership. This comprises three small buildings originally built as a gas chamber and rifle ranges.
Description
The description below gives the date range for the construction of the
building, with detail of what it was built for (if known). However, these buildings were not
examined in detail on the site visit and descriptions of current form and use cannot always be
given.
A) Water Tower (NGR TR 19411 35434) designed 1964-9 by Westwood, Piet and Partners.
Concrete with parabolic curves to the supports.
B) Semi-detached houses (NGR TR 19431 35392) built pre-1907 as Officer’s housing.
C) Built pre-1907 as Brigade Offices (NGR TR 19458 35399)
D) Temple (NGR TR 19492 35406) Built post-1969
E) Pre-1907 building (NGR TR 19526 35414) Labelled on early plans as Bk [barrack or book?]
room to the south and stables to the north
F) Officers’ Mess (NGR TR 19540 35305) designed 1964-9 by Westwood, Piet and Partners.
As built this was a 2 storey building in concrete and brick with a flat roof, designed to face south
and have sea views. Large later extension to north.
G) Educational Building (NGR TR 19654 35381) designed 1964-9 by Westwood, Piet and
Partners. As built this was a series of blocks providing different specialist training. Two storey
brick and concrete with flat roofs.
H) Offices (NGR TR 19721 35444) designed 1964-9 by Westwood, Piet and Partners.
Attached rotunda was designed as the co’s office, but he apparently declined to use it as such
and it was used as an exhibition space. Main block two storey brick and concrete with flat roof,
rotunda single storey concrete.
I) Built as Offices, stores and Rank and File Mess (NGR TR 19848 35451) designed 1964-9 by
Westwood, Piet and Partners. Series of irregularly planned blocks of one and two storeys, brick
and concrete some with flat, some pitched roofs.
J) Built as garage and boiler house (NGR TR 19804 35387) designed 1964-9 by Westwood,
Piet and Partners.
K) Built as Junior Ranks Club and unit shops (NGR TR 19850 35390) designed 1964-9 by
Westwood, Piet and Partners. Irregular block plan of one and two storeys, brick and concrete.
L) Built as Instructional Shed (NGR TR 19887 35400) designed 1964-9 by Westwood, Piet and
Partners.
M) Built as an Armoury (NGR TR 19888 35465) designed 1964-9 by Westwood, Piet and
Partners.
N) Swimming Pool, assembly hall and gymnasium (NGR TR 20060 35393) designed 1964-9 by
Westwood, Piet and Partners. Single storey of brick and concrete built with distinctive curving
roof forms to provide natural light.
O) Covered rifle-ranges (NGR TR 20116 35397) designed 1964-9 by Westwood, Piet and
Partners.
P) Late 1930s barrack block (NGR TR 19853 35501). Two storey brick building with hipped
tile roof.
Q) 1990s barrack block (NGR TR 19907 35500) three storey brick building.
R) Late 1930s barrack block (NGR TR 19961 35497) Two storey brick building with hipped tile
roof.
S) Late 1930s barrack block (NGR TR 19824 35521) Two storey brick building with hipped tile
roof.
T) Late 1930s barrack block (NGR TR 19856 35557)
U) 1990s barrack block (NGR TR 19927 35547)
V) 1990s barrack block (NGR TR 19906 35595)
W) 1990s barrack block (NGR TR 19961 35652)
X) Late 20th century building, possibly incorporating the P.S. Barracks designed 1964-9 by
Westwood, Piet and Partners, at its northern end. (NGR TR 20021 35716)
Y) Guardhouse (NGR TR 20016 35762) designed 1964-9 by Westwood, Piet and Partners.
Later alterations. Single storey building of concrete and brick with flat roof.
Z) 1990s building (NGR TR 20116 35710)
AA) Roman Catholic Chapel (NGR TR 20149 35768) now Gurkha museum, designed 1964-9
by Westwood, Piet and Partners. Listed (UID 1380076 grade II). Low concrete side walls
supporting timber framed triangular roof structure. (1)

<1> English Heritage, 2012, Sir John Moore Barracks, Shorncliffe Barracks (also known as Moore Barracks) (Unpublished document). SKE56223.