Army Cadet Force Drill Hall, Sidmouth, Devon

I came across this whilst having a meander around Sidmouth in August 2009. I could see that it was empty and boarded up, so I had a look around the back and side of the building, which revealed some rather interesting architectural differences to the front, above. 

  
The last inhabitants were the Devon Army Cadet Force. However, it was built in 1895 as a Territorial Drill Hall, comprising a drill hall on the ground floor, an ante-room and an armoury. In the 1914 edition of the Kelly directory, mention was made of a clock above the entrance. It isn't clear from the description whether it was situated inside or out. There was no sign of it on the exterior, but it may have been taken down at some point.

Drill Halls were part of military reserve unit headquarters, many of which were built through public subscriptions in order to support the local Volunteer Force raised in the late 1850s. These were later renamed Territorial Army Centres and later Army Reserve Centres. This also included the Army Cadet Force.

The rear facade, above, looks quite similar to an old Devon mill. A boat and some crab/lobster pots and other fishing gear was there too, but there is a Fishermen's shed and Shop at the rear so they probably belonged to the business.

And another connection with the sea, below - a pair of oars can just about be seen in the window.

A metal staircase leads to a bricked-up rear door, but next to that was room enough to walk along and around the lower side of the building. Interestingly, it has the look of a Palmerston Fort about it; Victorian coastal defences built from 1860 onwards and named after the then Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, who promoted the idea. 

While checking up on more recent information I discovered that East Devon County Council have put the Drill Hall on the market to be redeveloped as a bar or restaurant, this being part of the regeneration of the Port Royal area of the Salcombe end of the esplanade.The council called it an unattractive building.

However, I personally think that the architecture has a lot going for it and would adapt beautifully to the proposal of a pub or restaurant - there may even be room for a small garden with seating - and that it's definitely worth preserving for its history too.