'Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles, Territorial Force (Yeomanry)(Duke of Connaught's Own) (B Squadron, Canterbury Troop); head quarters, Drill hall, St. Peter's lane.' (Kelly 1913)

Kelly, 1903, lists the head quarters of the Royal East Kent (The Duke of Connaught's Own) (Mounted Rifles) Imperial Yeomanry at 15 Gordon road.

Kelly, 1891, lists 'The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 1st Volunteer Battalion: head quarters [plus B & C Cos.], Burgate street.'

4th Territorial Force Battalion The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) (B&C Cos.); Drill hall, St. Peter's lane.' (Kelly, 1913)

Also listed is the Regimental head quarters, although the address is St. Peter's street. B Company is also given as 66 Northgate street, and C Company at Wingham.

'[section] F Company, Kent Cyclist Battalion.'(Kelly 1913)

'Royal Army Medical Corps 2nd Home Counties Field Ambulance Territorial Force (A Section), Drill hall, St. Peter's lane.' Also listed as 3 Adelaide place, Castle street. (Kelly 1913)



The drill hall on St Peter’s Lane, now called the Westgate Hall, is at risk.

The building was taken over by the City Council in the early 1970s and has been well used as a dance hall and community hall for local clubs and societies, events, conferences and by the University of Kent.

It is authoritatively described on this page in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westgate_Hall,_Canterbury

In January, 2010, Canterbury City Council finalised its budget cuts and recommended closure of the former drill hall and two museums. According to local sources, it will be demolished in April or May, 2010, to provide car parking spaces.

Public opinion is opposed to the proposed closure. The city will lose its only public venue for large events. A Facebook group has been set up by those who are fighting to retain the building:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=181466832361

The Drill Hall project fully supports the moves to preserve the building. We will add further information to this page in due course.

Thank you to Maurice Billingsley for taking the photographs.

Note: there is also a petition to save the museums.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Museums1/petition.html