Plaque unveiled at Richmond landmark

Garden Village shares military links

Residents of the Garden Village in Richmond have worked with local organisations to fund and create a new plaque commemorating the site of the Richmond Barracks and its rich history.  

The unveiling was attended by representatives from the Green Howards Association, the Western Front Association and The Green Howards Museum and Garden Village residents.

Unveiling the plaque, Maj (Retd) Mike Scott, the Secretary of the Green Howards Association said “This long overdue commemoration strengthens the golden thread that links the Green Howards and Richmond. For almost a hundred years and for thousands of the regiment's soldiers, this place played a key role in their lives, either for training, returning home and moving on to new postings or deployments, or to become part of the staff here."

Now a residential area, the Garden Village is the site of the former regimental depot, built at the top of Gallowgate between 1875 and 1877 for the regiment which later became known as the Green Howards.  

Gallowgate was quickly nicknamed Barrack Hill and the site referred to as The Depot.  The main part of the barracks closed in 1961, and the buildings were used as an approved school until 1972.  In 1973 the Green Howards regimental HQ and museum relocated to their current location in Holy Trinity Church, Richmond marketplace.

The plaque features a QR code linking to a wealth of information about the site and its military past.

“It’s been so interesting putting together the online exhibition, delving into the history of this special place and the people associated with it," explains Fiona Hall, The Green Howards Museum's Communications Manager. "One of the museum volunteers who helped work on the research actually completed his National Service training at the barracks, so the links are still strong. If you’re passing the plaque simply scan the code, or you can find the Depot exhibition on our website.”  

From 1985 onwards, the site was redeveloped to become The Garden Village, incorporating some of the original buildings including the officers’ mess (now Nightingale Hall care home) and the barracks buildings (now residential apartments).

See The Depot online exhibition here.