St George's Barracks, London

For other barracks with similar name, see St George's Barracks (disambiguation).

St George's Barracks
London
Recruiting Sergeants from St George's Barracks
Site information
Type	Barracks
Owner	War Office
Operator	British Army
Location
St George's Barracks Location within London
Coordinates	51°30′34″N0°07′42″W / 51.50939°N 0.12839°W / 51.50939; -0.12839
Site history
Built	1826
Built for	War Office
In use	1826–1911

St George's Barracks was a military installation in Orange Street, behind the National Gallery, in London.

History

The barracks, which were designed by John Nash and built as the main recruiting depot for the London area, ^[1] were completed in 1826. ^[2] Recruiting sergeants for the regiments based at the barracks tended to operate within a tight area defined by St. George's Barracks, Trafalgar Square and Westminster Abbey. ^[3] The barracks, which were also used as facilities to accommodate regiments of foot guards, ^[4] were retained into the 20th century because of the need for troops to be at hand to quell disturbances in Trafalgar Square. ^[5] They were ultimately demolished in 1911 ^[6] and the site is now occupied by the National Portrait Gallery. ^[7]

References

1. "St George's Barracks, London". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 20 April 1896. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
2. Osborne, Mike (2012). Defending London: A Military History from Conquest to Cold War. The History Press. ISBN   978-0-7524-79316.
3. "Street Life in London". Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington. p. 9. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
4. Thornbury, Walter (1878). "'Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery', in Old and New London: Volume 3". London. pp. 141–149. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
5. Conlin, p. 401
6. "St George's Barracks, London". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 16 December 1919. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
7. "Timeline: 1903". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 25 September 2016.

Sources

• Conlin, Jonathan (2006). The Nation's Mantelpiece: A History of the National Gallery . London: Pallas Athene. ISBN   978-1843680208.