Caernarfon Barracks is a military installation in

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

History

The building was commissioned by John Lloyd, County Surveyor of

Caernarfonshire , HQ= County Hall, Caernarfon , Map= , Image= Flag , Motto= Cadernid Gwynedd (The strength of Gwynedd) , year_start= , Arms= ''Coat of arms of Caerna ...

, as a military headquarters and was completed in 1855. It became the headquarters of units of the Carnarvon Rifle Volunteer Corps when they were raised in March 1860 and went on to become the headquarters of the

3rd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers The 6th (Caernarvonshire & Anglesey) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of the British Army's auxiliary forces. Formed in 1908, from Volunteer units that dated back to 1860, it fought at Gallipoli), in Egypt and Palestine during ...

, when that unit was formed in 1897. The battalion evolved to become the 6th (Caernarvonshire and Anglesey) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, in 1908. The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to Gallipoli and ultimately to Palestine. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

the battalion converted to become the 635th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (Royal Welch) and evolved to become the 446th (Royal Welch) Airborne Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, while still based at the barracks, in 1955. It reverted to infantry stratus and amalgamated with the 7th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers to form the 6th/7th Battalion, The Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1956. However, the presence at the barracks was reduced to a single company, D Company of the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1971 and further reduced to a rifle platoon of D Company, The Royal Welsh Regiment in 1991 and evolved to be a rifle platoon of D Company, The 3rd Battalion, The

Royal Welsh The Royal Welsh (R WELSH) ( cy, Y Cymry Brenhinol) is an armoured infantry regiment of the British Army. It was established in 2006 from the Royal Welch Fusiliers (23rd Foot) and the Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot). History The ...

in 2006. Although the Ministry of Defence had previously indicated its intention to close the barracks, a reprieve was announced in March 2017.

References

{{reflist Grade II listed buildings in Gwynedd Drill halls in Wales