Huddersfield
- West Riding


9 Queen street
St Paul's St
Drill Hall, Fitzwilliam street

Yorkshire Dragoons (Queen’s Own) Yeomanry D Squadron 9, Queen Street (Kelly, 1912)
HQ, A-E 5 Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment


According to The Times, Friday 5th May, 1899, ‘Lord Roberts yesterday laid the foundation stone of the new drill-hall which is being erected for the 2nd Vol. Batt. Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regt. on a site behind the Technical College.’

He returned, according to The Times, on Thursday, May 9th, 1901, to open ‘the drill hall which had been erected…. And a bazaar organised to clear off a debt of £4,000 which exists upon it. The building has been erected from designs by Capt. W. Cooper, one of the officers. The total cost was between £8,000 and £9,000, of which £1,000 was contributed by Lieut.-Col. Carlile, one of the officers.’

The premises are still used by the MoD. We understand that they do not own the premises, which are held in trust by the people of Huddersfield. (Source: Captain Hey, via Roger Thompson)

The stone plaque by the door marks the drill hall’s foundation by Lord Roberts.

We are grateful to Roger Thompson for the information and photographs. Roger has sent newspaper articles which cover the opening, and a recent feature.



We have been informed [2008] that the Yorkshire Dragoons' Drill Hall on Fitzwilliam street has been demolished to make way for the Inner Ring Road. We would be grateful for any archive photographs.

According to the Huddersfield One website, the Riding School opposite St Paul's Church was known as the Theatre Royal between 1848 and 1862, when it was sold to the W Yorkshire Rifles for use as a drill hall. It is now a public house.

Note: the address of St Paul’s street appears to be interchangeable with Queen street.
Huddersfield - Queen Street Elevation
Queen Street


Huddersfield - Queen Street - Main entrance
Main entrance


Huddersfield - Commemorative Plaque adjacent to main entrance
Commemorative Plaque adjacent to main entrance


Huddersfield - Rear
Rear
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The Drill Hall Project - Charting a neglected legacy