Type Barracks In use 1878-1967 Owner Ministry of Defence Occupant Wiltshire Regiment | Operator British Army Year built 1878 Built for War Office | |
 | ||
Occupants Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) | ||
Le marchant barracks
Le Marchant Barracks is a former military installation in Devizes, Wiltshire, England.
Contents
History
The barracks were built in the Fortress Gothic Revival style and named after Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant in 1878. Their creation took place as part of the Cardwell Reforms which encouraged the localisation of British military forces. The barracks became the depot for the 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot and the 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot. Following the Childers Reforms, the 62nd and 99th Regiments amalgamated to form the Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) with its depot in the barracks in 1881.
During the First World War 5,000 soldiers were processed there and over 3,000 reservists were called up there. Between the Wars the barracks were the local infantry training centre and during the Second World War the barracks became a Prisoner of war camp. The barracks remained the home of the Wiltshire Regiment until 1959 after which time they were used as a secondary location by the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment until about 1967.
Part of the site was still used as a Territorial Army Centre for the 1st Battalion the Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers) after the main barracks closed. The keep was sold by the Ministry of Defence in the 1980s and was subsequently used as a warehouse. It was sold again in 2012 and converted for residential use in 2013.
The keep and gatehouse are Grade II listed.