Bournemouth

Victoria Drill Hall, Lansdowne road
Holdenhurst road
Yeomanry Drill Hall, Portman road
Tregonwell road

4th Volunteer Battalion Hampshire Regiment
1st Dorsetshire Volunteer artillery (Southern Division Royal Artillery), Nos. 1 and 2 companies
(Kelly 1899)

3rd Wessex Brigade Royal Field Artillery; 6th Hampshire Battery
7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment; head quarters, E, F, G & H Companies
'B' 9 Hampshire
‘D Squadron (Bournemouth Troop) Hampshire (Carabiniers)
(Kelly, 1911)

‘Bournemouth is the head quarters of the 4th Volunteer Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment, for which a new drill hall was erected by Miss Mitchell in 1897; the building comprises quarters for the drill instructor, armoury, rooms, canteen and billiard room. Here also are the head quarters of the 1st Dorsetshire Volunteer artillery (Southern Division Royal Artillery), Nos. 1 and 2 companies, Tregonwell road.’ (Kelly, 1899)

Kelly, 1911, records: ‘3rd Wessex Brigade Royal Field Artillery; 6th Hampshire Battery, Victoria Drill hall.’ The same 1911 Directory also gives: ‘In Lansdowne road are the headquarters of the 6th Hants battery 3rd Wessex Brigade Royal Field Artillery.’

A report in The Times, Wednesday October 22nd, 1902, states that, ‘Lord Roberts... is to proceed to Bournemouth to receive the freedom of that borough and to open an Artillery Volunteer drill-hall.’ This is probably the Victoria Drill Hall, though we would be grateful for confirmation.

‘7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment; head quarters, E, F, G & H Companies, 177 Holdenhurst road.’ (Kelly, 1911) We do not know whether these premises are extant.

‘D Squadron (Bournemouth Troop) Hampshire (Carabiniers) Yeomanry Drill hall, Portman road.’ (Kelly, 1911) We do not know whether these premises are extant.

We have found a mention of premises in Winton, a suburb of Bournemouth. According to the ‘Lost Winton’ website, the Congregational Mission Hall, the Pro Bono Publico Hall, was first used as school, and when the Elementary School was built, the hall was sold and became the Artillery Volunteers Drill Hall. The text continues, “The hall was purchased in 1906 for church/club use ... and acquired another name, the old Drill Hall; the Volunteers had transferred to the New Drill Hall, Bingham Road.”

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The Drill Hall Project - Charting a neglected legacy