Victorian Barracks Guildford

Pictured here is the 'Keep' of the Barracks of the East Surrey Regiment in Guildford. It is interesting that Victorian Barracks were built with a strong-point Keep.

In 1873 Edward Cardwell, who lived at Eashing and was Secretary of State for War in Gladstone’s government, decided that Guildford like all county towns should have a barracks. At the time the site in Stoughton was chosen was open fields. The barracks was occupied in 1876 becoming the 48th Brigade Depot Under Cardwell's reforms of 1881, the number was dropped and the Depot renamed The Queen’s Royal (West Surrey).

It is of interest that between 1876 and 1900 neither the 1st or the 2nd Battalion spent more man six years in England, serving in India and Ireland

It was at Stoughton that raw recruit Michael Caine was trained before going to the Korean War, and in 1959 the film. Carry-on Sergeant, was shot there.

From 1959 to 1983, the barracks were used as a Pay and Records office, after which it remained empty until March 1994 when developers bought it.