Former Riding School (ASU Building) Queen Elizabeth Barracks Church Crookham Hampshire

The former Riding School (the ASU Building) at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in
Church Crookham, Hampshire is an interesting and impressive building constructed at
the turn of the 20th century as part of the Royal Field Artillery's newly-built Leipzig
Barracks. In the First World War these barracks were used by members of the armed
forces from New Zealand including an artillery regiment and the New Zealand
medical corps. In 1938-9 the Boyce Barracks were constructed nearby and in 1948
they were renamed the Queen Elizabeth Barracks. In the post-World War II period the
main Leipzig Barracks were demolished but the Riding School building was retained
and apparently incorporated into the Queen Elizabeth Barracks. The building was
converted to a new use as a store or warehouse, probably when it became part of the
Queen Elizabeth Barracks but potentially before.
Oxford Archaeology has been commissioned by Taylor Wimpey (West London) to
undertake a programme of historic building recording on the former Riding School
prior to its potential alteration, conversion or development. The building has been
significantly altered since its original construction through its change of use as a store
building and through the partial subdivision of the interior but it is still possible to
gain a good sense of the original form of the building. The exterior remains relatively
close to its primary form with the original high band of windows set between regular
piers, extensive glazing to the end gables, with slat vents, and a ventilation louvre
along the main ridge of the building. The main changes to the exterior have been the
insertion of loading doors and the addition of a pentice roof at the east end.
The primary metal roof trusses are visible from the ground and there are various other
original features such as sliding doors. Another interesting feature is the upper storey
at the west end which has been greatly altered but which would originally have been
used by officers to observe the training and manoeuvres.
Evidence of former use (albeit probably a secondary use from the mid 20th century)
can be seen in a number of pads on the floor which may have been for free-standing
stoves