These are two almost identical views of Warley Barracks demolished in the 1960s to make way for the substantial offices of the Ford Motor Company. All that remains is the Chapel.The Barracks held an important part in the history of Brentwood. These were built by the War Office in 1805 on 116 acres of land taken from Warley Common. Two troops of horse artillery were stationed there. The population of the town rose from 1001 to around 3000.
Various army units used the barracks until 1832. After being empty for about a decade, in 1843 the site was purchased and expanded by the East India Company.
In 1861 the India Office transferred the Barracks back to the War Office. From 1873 until its closure in 1959 Warley Barracks was the depot of the Essex Regiment. Our postcard appears to show the Essex Regiment on parade around the time of the First World War.
The Essex Regimental Museum - currently closed for rebuilding - is situated at the Chelmsford Museum at Oaklands Park, Moulsham Street, Chelmsford.
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