Bust

Drill Hall - head 6 - Crimean soldier

Erection date: 1882

Site: Drill Hall - W1 (7 memorials)

W1, Chenies Street, Drill Hall

In the spandrels above the entrance door: "Bloomsbury Rifles Pro Patria Semper" ('for my country always'). The technique used for this lettering is new to us, and has weathered, or aged, very badly.

The ends of the label, or drip, window mouldings are decoratively finished with individual sculpted heads. The six on the first floor are small and not too interesting but the six on the ground floor are so delightful we could not let them go, even though their status as memorials is, at best, tangential. We've numbered them left to right and identified a character for each one, except number 4. Do look at them in the larger format - the facial expressions are individual and the moustaches long.

Discussing head 4 with Mike Patterson of London Historians he points out that, in common with other infantry regiments, the Bloomsbury Rifles cap badge incorporated the Maltese cross so that would explain the symbol on the cap. He agrees that, as with 1 and 2, 4 has a local British look but we can't pin it down. Welsh would be an obvious candidate but we can find no images to confirm this association. Of course it could just be bog standard English.

See the foundation stone page for information about the building and its architect. It remained in use by military groups until 1960. It is now RADA Studios.

Londonist have posted a Museum of London video about this drill hall.

The Jewish Legion HQ was at 22 Chenies Street - two buildings to the east.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Drill Hall - head 6 - Crimean soldier

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Somerset House - 1, George III

Somerset House - 1, George III

WC2, Strand, Somerset House - Strand Block

The three central first floor windows of the Strand Block of Somerset House are each topped, below their pediment, with a relief portrait...

1 subject commemorated
Spencer Perceval bust - Pitzhangar

Spencer Perceval bust - Pitzhangar

W5, Mattock Lane, Pitzhanger Manor

Unusually neither of the memorials is visible in our photo of the location, but we hope you agree that the house is worthy of a picture f...

1 subject commemorated
National Portrait Gallery - MacAulay

National Portrait Gallery - MacAulay

WC2, Charing Cross Road

This building, 1896, designed by Ewan Christian, has 18 busts contained in medallions around the top of the facades. Starting at the east...

1 subject commemorated
Guildhall - Cromwell bust

Guildhall - Cromwell bust

EC2, Guildhall Yard, Guildhall

The arcade contains four modern busts, left to right: Pepys Cromwell Shakespeare Wren and a statue of Whittington to the left.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Sir Joseph Paxton - giant bust

Sir Joseph Paxton - giant bust

SE19, Crystal Palace Park

The Carrera marble bust is 8ft high.

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators

Previously viewed

submarine E.5

submarine E.5

Lost in WW1

Vehicle

1 memorial
The Great Storm - Ken Wood

The Great Storm - Ken Wood

NW3, Ken Wood

The Great Storm In the early hours of 16th October 1987, a hurricane force wind swept through Ken Wood. 54 mature trees were blown down a...

16 subjects commemorated, 18 creators