By Rod Stead
In the aftermath of the Crimean War, a full review of army accommodation had been undertaken, and found that soldiers based in the UK had half the life expectancy of their peers in the civilian population. This review resulted in new designs for army accommodation, and the new Caterham Barracks was planned to give soldiers healthier living conditions and adequate facilities for training. The aim of the new design was ‘the creation of a higher tone of social habits’, providing proper sanitation, ventilation, decent food and moral and physical education. In 1875 the War department purchased ‘green field’ land at Caterham, for the vast sum of £46,273 to build a new home for the Guards regiments. Building then commenced, and the Caterham Barracks opened in 1877 as a base for the Foot Guards, the elite bodyguard for the monarch. A new ‘Commission for Improving Barracks and Hospitals’ supervised the construction and Florence Nightingale was retained as a consultant. At the time, it was the largest barracks in the country and could house more than 12,000 men.
Along with the many dormitory blocks, other buildings included the officers’ mess, dining rooms for other ranks, a gymnasium, a billiard room and library, a swimming pool and theatre, a fully equipped hospital and a wide range of sports and leisure facilities such as a skittle alley.
Separate quarters were provided for married men and their families, and fairly-priced bars were also provided on site to prevent soldiers frequenting taverns of ill-repute in the local area.
In 1886 a chapel was built, to the designs of the architect William Butterfield, and dedicated to St Michael the Archangel.
Over the years, the barracks were added to with further accommodation blocks, and even a cinema. Events such as annual fairs and theatrical performances and entertainments were open to the local population, and the Caterham Barracks became a major part of the local community.
During the two World Wars it was temporarily expanded with tented camps.
However, after the second world war, and as the British Empire contracted, there was no longer a need for a large military, and the size of the army gradually declined. Caterham Barracks ceased to be a training depot in 1960 when facilities were moved to Pirbright, and further reductions to the regular Army meant that the Barracks were eventually surplus to requirements. On Thursday, March 23 1995, the Guards flag was lowered for the last time, and after almost 120 years, the Guards marched down Church Hill and out of Caterham. The barracks were then sold in 1998 and redeveloped as an urban village providing many new homes, however some of the buildings and facilities have been retained and reused to serve the new community. These include the Grade 2 listed St Michael’s Chapel (now home to Caterham Skateham, a skateboard centre), the Officers’ Mess (now an ‘enterprise’ business centre), the gymnasiums (now home to a soft-play area and a gymnastics club), the NAFFI (now a children’s nursery), and some of the sports fields (now used by local football teams and sports clubs).
Further reading :- Caterham, a Home for the Guards is available from the East Surrey Museum
The Guards and Caterham, a soldier’s story by R. Melvin (out of print)
All images from postcards courtesy of the East Surrey Museum.