Trowbridge Barracks Origin
John Scobell, a contractor who built several other barracks in the west of England, erected the original barracks in Trowbridge in 1794. By the end of 1802, records suggest a cavalry troop was stationed there. The established structure accommodated 4 officers, 58 other ranks, 63 horses, and hospital facilities for 10 individuals. The troop’s structure remained consistent in or shortly before 1816.
Located within the Severn district, the barracks undoubtedly held strategic importance. However, the cavalry housed there was equally essential for policing duties. The town and its vicinity had a considerable working-class population, and with no rural law enforcement at the time, the troops’ presence seemed a necessity. After the French wars ended, the barracks appear to have been abandoned for a time.
A Return to the Barracks
Troops returned to Trowbridge in 1826, staying in local inns. By 1830, a troop from the 3rd Dragoon Guards was stationed in town. This arrangement didn’t sit well with the innkeepers, who petitioned in 1837 for neighboring towns to share the burden of housing soldiers. In response, a system of six-month quarterings involving Trowbridge, Bradford, and Frome began in 1838. This failed to satisfy Trowbridge publicans, but the arrangement seemingly continued for a time.
The Chartist unrest of 1838–39 in Trowbridge and the surrounding area disrupted typical military deployments. Notably, since at least 1838, a section of the barracks had housed the Trowbridge Working Men’s Association. To address this and provide proper cavalry housing, the government bought the barracks back from Mr. Taylor for £3,500 in March 1839. The purchase was finalized the following month. They then hired a barrack master and acquired supplies for 4 officers, 56 men, and their horses.
Repairs and extensions to Trowbridge Barracks
Before the cavalry arrived, they had to undertake necessary repairs and enlargements. On May 5th, a small detachment of metropolitan police arrived in town and occupied one of the officers’ residences. On June 5th, an armed party of seven individuals assaulted them within the barracks, leading to the arrest of the leaders. The police withdrew on June 20th, and a slightly larger contingent of infantry replaced them.
By February 1840, a troop of the 12th Lancers and a company of the 45th Foot occupied the barracks. In March, they approved spending £1,050 (around £90,000 in modern terms) to construct a guardhouse, orderly rooms, and prison facilities. Throughout the 1860s and 1870s, the barracks generally stood empty and accommodated the fire brigade.
The building subsequently became an artillery barracks, with Royal Artillery personnel stationed in town from 1876. The 81st Field Battery, Royal Field Artillery, left the town in 1899, en route to South Africa.
Turn of the Century
By 1903, the barracks could house 150 men, and the 146th Field Battery, Royal Artillery, was stationed there. After several quiet decades, they took on a more important role, becoming the focus of military life in Trowbridge at the outbreak of the First World War. The barracks also housed the RGA Officers Cadet School.
Barracks, 1917
During the Second World War, they extended the Barracks, and the Artillery remained there periodically until 1948. Due to mechanization, they sold 44 horses from the barracks in 1938, dispersing the animals. In the 1950s, authorities transferred the barracks to the Territorial Army (TA). They used the barracks little, and after a Planning Enquiry, demolished them in 1961. Housing now stands on the site, with very little remaining except for a couple of short stretches of old wall. Trowbridge Civic Society has placed two commemorative plaques on these remaining sections of the wall.
