Colchester Le Cateau Barracks buildings fight continues

Parts of Le Cateau Barracks, in Colchester, will be demolished if plans for a 203 home development go ahead.

The buildings are part of the disused Army Base Repair Organisation site near Abbey Field, which was sold by the Ministry of Defence for £8.85million last year.

They were originally entitled the Royal Field Artillery Barracks but were renamed Le Cateau Barracks after the battle of the same name during the First World War.

Campaigners - Pam Cox, Linda Green, Paul Knappett and Sir Bob Russell holding a plan of the former site of the Artillery Barracks (Image: Newsquest)

During this battle, the 14th Brigade Royal Field Artillery from Colchester played a decisive role, sending about 800 men and 600 horses.

With the 109th anniversary of the Battle of Le Cateau on Saturday, campaigners have now ramped up their rallying cry to save the former barracks buildings.

They include a horse infirmary, riding school, gun park and wagon sheds.

Former workshop director at the site Paul Knappett said: “It is most concerning that this part of Colchester’s history appears to be either unknown or worse, undervalued in Colchester Council’s plans to deliver a housing development on the site.”

Heritage - the former horse infirmary is styled much the same as the original Royal Artillery Barracks buildings (Image: Michael Emmerson)

He explained other buildings including the officers’ quarters and sergeants’ mess were listed and sympathetically converted into homes and business premises.

“Our group, working with Colchester Civic Society, has submitted an application to Historic England for the horse infirmary and gun park to be listed,” added Mr Knappett.

“The historic importance of the riding school and wagon sheds has also been brought to their attention.

“We are simply requesting that responsible practices are applied to these buildings so that after 80 years of being isolated on the site, they can be reunited with the aforementioned buildings.”

Brave - Colchester soldiers head off to fight during World War I (Image: Colchester Archaeological Trust)

Test of time - a stable door in the former horse infirmary (Image: Michael Emmerson)

An investigation led by Mr Knappett and the Civic Society has uncovered fascinating details about the site’s history.

Generations of England’s war horses were trained and treated at the old Royal Artillery and Cavalry Barracks complex between 1870 and 1920.

They included hundreds of horses involved in the First World War.

Some army horses continued to be stabled on the neighbouring Cavalry Barracks until the early 2000s.