Pontefract Barracks is a former military installation in

Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. It lies to the east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...

, England.

History

The barracks were built in the Fortress Gothic Revival Style and were completed in 1879. Their creation took place as part of the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attentio ...

which encouraged the localisation of British military forces. The barracks were intended as depot for the 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot and the

105th Regiment of Foot (Madras Light Infantry) The 105th Regiment of Foot (Madras Light Infantry) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised by the Honourable East India Company in 1766. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of ...

. Under the

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation w ...

these regiments amalgamated to form the

King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) was a Light infantry, light infantry regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. In 1968, the regiment was amalgamated with the Somers ...

with its depot at the barracks in 1881. The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry remained at the barracks until 1938 when they moved to Strensall Camp. The barracks were also intended as depot for the

65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot The 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1756 as the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, 12th Regiment of Foot. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 84th (York and L ...

and the 84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment of Foot. Under the

these regiments amalgamated to form the York and Lancaster Regiment with its depot at the barracks in 1881. The barracks were demoted to the status of out-station to the

Yorkshire Brigade The Yorkshire Brigade was an administrative brigade formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of Yorkshire, England. After the Second World War there were 14 infantry depots in Britai ...

depot at Queen Elizabeth Barracks in 1958 and closed in 1963. The barracks were redeveloped by Asquith Properties and converted into serviced offices in 1997.

References

{{reflist Installations of the British Army Barracks in England