Burlington Street drill hall, Manchester

The Burlington Street drill hall is a former military installation at in Manchester.

History
The building was designed as the headquarters of the 4th Volunteer Battalion, The Manchester Regiment and completed in 1885. This unit evolved to become the 7th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment in 1908. The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to Gallipoli and, ultimately, to the Western Front. The battalion amalgamated with the 6th Battalion to form the 6th / 7th Battalion at the Stretford Road drill hall in Hulme in 1921. The drill hall was substantially rebuilt in 1938 and then used as the headquarters of the 61st City of Manchester Battalion of the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was seriously damaged by a bomb during the Manchester Blitz in December 1940. It was subsequently decommissioned and acquired by the University of Manchester, who use it as a Physical Education Centre and Islamic Prayer Hall. The facility, which is known as the McDougall Centre, is named after the local benefactor, Sir Robert McDougall, of McDougall Brothers.