The Castle Armoury is a former military installation in Bury, Greater Manchester, England.
| Castle Armoury | |
|---|---|
| Bury | |
 Castle Armoury | |
  Castle Armoury Location within Greater Manchester | |
| Coordinates | 53°35′39″N 2°17′55″W / 53.59422°N 2.29859°W |
| Type | Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1868 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1868-2022 |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | W company 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers B Detachment, 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital Bury Detachment ACF 1036 (Bury) Squadron ATC |
History edit
The armoury was designed as the headquarters of the 8th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps and built on the remains of Bury Castle in 1868.[1] An extension exhibiting the same architectural features was opened by the Duke of Connaught in November 1907.[2] The 8th Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps evolved to become the 1st Volunteer Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1883 and the 5th Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1908.[3] The battalion was mobilised at the armoury in September 1914 before being deployed to the Suez Canal, then to Gallipoli and ultimately to the Western Front.[4] The armoury remained the home of the 5th battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers through the inter-war period.[5]
A major fire took hold at the armoury in January 1943 during the Second World War, in which a fireman died and the building was seriously damaged, and it was not until summer 1952 that the restoration was complete.[2] After the war the armoury continued to be used by the 5th battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers until the battalion was disbanded in 1967. The armoury was then used by a company of the 5th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, a unit which evolved following amalgamations to become the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers in July 1999 and 4th Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment in July 2006.[2] It is a Grade II Listed building.[1]
The building closed in June 2022 with the owners, a trust, citing safety grounds.[6] The leaser, the Ministry of Defence's Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association stated that funding was not available to carry out the estimated £2 million of urgent repairs, with further work required to modernise the building.[7][8]
Former units edit
The following units were based at the armoury immediately before its closure:[9]
British Army
- W (Gallipoli) Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers[10]
- B Detachment, 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps[11]
- Lancashire Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers[12]
Community Cadet Forces
- Bury Detachment, Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force[13]
- 1036 (Bury) Squadron, Greater Manchester Wing, Air Training Corps[14]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Castle Armoury". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ a b c "History of Castle Armoury". Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ "Fusiliers in Bury" (PDF). Western Front Association. 30 November 2014. p. 17. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ "1st/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers: Tours and Postings". Lancashire Fusiliers. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ "Bury County Borough Directory". Metropolitan Borough of Bury. 1936. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ Britton, Paul (2022-07-04). "Historic drill hall Castle Armoury in Bury closes". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "Nooks and Corners". Private Eye. No. 1579. 12 August 2022. p. 22.
- ^ "'Woefully neglected' armed forces base had 'no hot water or heating' for soldiers returning from active service". Bury Times. 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "Castle Armoury". Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Fusilier from Middleton set for training mission in Canada". Rochdale News. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Army Reserve QARANC". Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "The Band & Corp of Drums of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers". Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Greater Manchester Army Cadets". Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "1036 (Bury)". Retrieved 17 April 2021.