High West Street drill hall, Dorchester

High West Street drill hall
Dorchester
High West Street drill hall
High West Street drill hall
Location within Dorset
Coordinates 50°42′55″N 2°26′22″W / 50.71533°N 2.43936°W / 50.71533; -2.43936Coordinates: 50°42′55″N 2°26′22″W / 50.71533°N 2.43936°W / 50.71533; -2.43936
Type Drill hall
Site history
Built 1849
Built for War Office
In use 1849-Present

The High West Street drill hall is a former military installation in Dorchester, Dorset. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

The building, which was built as a residential property in 1849, was converted in the late 19th century for use as the headquarters of the Dorsetshire Rifle Volunteers.[1] This unit evolved to become the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1887 and the 4th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1908.[2] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to India.[3][4] After the Territorial Army infantry presence in Dorchester was reduced to a single company, C Company (Dorset), Wessex Volunteers,[2] at the newly-built Poundbury Road Territorial Army Centre, in 1967,[5] the High West Street drill hall was decommissioned and subsequently converted for commercial use.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "56 and 57, High West Street". British listed buildings. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 "The Dorset Territorials". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  3. ↑ "The Dorsetshire Regiment". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "Dorchester". The Drill Hall Project. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "Mayor's pride in Dorchester's Rifles". View News. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
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