Barry Links, Barry Buddon Military Training Area, Gunnery Gym

NO53SW 84.01 51904 32496

Wooden building built c.1865 as a Naval Gunnery Trainer.

Built in the form of a replica wooden sailing warship ship's gun deck and later converted to a gym.

It is probably associated with the earth banked gun platform 450m to the S (NO53SW 84.00).

Information from RCAHMS (DE), June 2005

This wooden building is aligned NE to SW and situated about 79m SW of the modern main camp south-western perimeter fence. Measuring about 16.5m by 7m overall with a pitched roof and a skylight at the S end. There are two gun ports on the SE elevation, both with hinged metal shutters. The building is set on a brick built plinth. At the NW and SE corners are downpipes with at their head, cast iron rain head boxes, both of which have an anchor design on them.

Internally, the wooden roof is supported by original wooden roof trusses which have been strengthened at a later date by four additional reinforced steel girders (RSG) cut into the wallhead beams. The entrance is on the NW elevation, two sliding doors with a modern platt and concrete stairs outside. On the SE elevation the two gunports have internally splayed window recesses, hinged cast iron shutters with modern locking bars, the originals being replaced or removed. Around the gun ports are several wall mounted iron blocks and loops for the ropes to practice the running out the muzzle loaded cannon. A slot below the window ledge is a later development to allow for a newer design of gun.

At each end of the building on the NW wall, are two cupboards with original latched doors. Double windows with astragals are located in both gables, and at the NE end there is a further small double window at ceiling height. Additionally there is a continuous roll moulded skirting board around the room and varnished wooden floor.

The building is now in use as a gymnasium and is kept in good condition throughout. A plaque on the wall notes that the building was converted to a gym on 13 November 2000.

The cellar is accessed by a trap door in the SE corner of the room where it was noted that the floor is supported on brick built lengthwise piers. One beam was noted with a chalked date of 29/3/99, but it is not clear whether this refers to 1899 or 1999 and there are air vents for the cellar showing on the external walls.

A vertical air photograph taken in 1941 (S223, 64, flown 17 June 1941), would suggest that at this period the building was partially surrounded by what may be a blast wall, the images show a wall around all but the N gable end. By the date of the 1947 vertical air photographs (CPE/243/RP, 3132, flown 22 July 1947), they had been removed.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE, SW), 10 August 2005