Hilsea Barracks

Hilsea Barracks was a military installation at Hilsea in Portsmouth.

History
The site was originally occupied by Gatcombe Manor, a medieval house which was acquired through marriage by Admiral Sir Roger Curtis in the 18th century. The War Office requisitioned the site from Curtis for military purposes in the 1770s. The garrison commander's house, which was rebuilt in 1780, evolved to become the officers' mess and survives as a Grade II listed building. The barracks, built to accommodate several thousand troops, were completed in 1794 and subsequently enhanced in 1854 for occupation by the Royal Field Artillery: a military chapel known as "St Barbara's Garrison Church" was added in 1888. The Royal Field Artillery vacated the site in 1921 when it became the main training depot for the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. During the Second World War the site was used by the United States Army. The buildings, which underwent various improvements and changes of use, were closed in 1962; they were demolished to make way for the "Gatcombe Park" housing development in 1965.