Hulme Cavalry Barracks from a report in 1861.
These barracks of regulation accommodation for 423 men, including non-commissioned officers. They are situated at the outskirts of Hulme; but on three sides of the parallelogram occupied by the barracks, there is a densely built neighbourhood of houses and factories, coming close to the boundary walls; and on one side only is the barrack yard open to the fields.
The stables of the barrack-rooms built over them, and extend along about half each of the long sides of the longer sides of the parallelogram, within a few yards of the boundary wall.
Immediately outside the boundary wall on one side, and overlooking the barracks, is a large lofty mill, which interferes with the free circulation of air on that side; and over the boundary wall behind the opposite range of barracks-rooms our narrow streets of small cottage houses with double ranges of ash-pits, privies and cesspools.
Between them, and all these nuisances the air, which supplies the barrack-rooms on that side has to pass.
A third side of the parallelogram is occupied by the canteen, riding house etc. Within the parallelogram at the same end is a line of buildings in which are placed the officers' quarters, workshops, schools, libraries etc.
The hospital is situated close to these buildings. behind each range of barracks is in narrow ill-paved, and defectively drained passage, across which immediately under the Barrack windows, are the litter sheds.
An open ash-pit and sergeants' privy are situated in the same line as the litter sheds. The space left between the boundary wall at the barracks is much too small, either for the health or convenience.
These arrangements are by no means conductive to the healthiness of the barracks; but they cannot now be altered without obtaining possession of ground outside the boundary wall, which in our opinion, It would be very advisable to do so,if it could be accomplished.
The soldiers latrines kitchens etc, are situated in separate buildings on the same line as the barracks.
The large central square, is an equally divided by temporary wooden stables, extending across it, and nearly in its centre is a large and well built ablution house,a water tank, baths,foot pans,basins etc.
The permanent buildings are all of brick, they were built in 1793, the soldiers barracks were rebuilt in 1829 and the officers quarters in 1841,the ground occupied by the whole establishment is 7 acres 1 rood in area,and consists of gravel and clay.
It is on the same level and possesses the same natural means of drainage, as the surrounding district.
There are, in all 40 soldiers rooms and 12 Sgt rooms in the barracks three of the latter are however misappropriate soldiers rooms, which has been found necessary to take from the men's accommodation, on account of the deficiency in non-commissioned officers quarters.
The rooms are already stated, are over the stables and very objectionable arrangement . Half of the rooms face towards the barrack Square and half towards the boundary wall.
Between the two ranges of rooms is the usual long narrow, badly lighted unventilated wooden corridor with doors opening right and left into the soldiers rooms close to the fireplaces.
These corridors are however much superior in one respect to those in most other cavalry barracks, from having shafts the whole breadth of the corridor carried at intervals to the roof where a large skylight is placed to admit light but for want of ventilation which could easily be supplied at the skylights. This smell in the corridors at night is stated to be at times most sickening.
The barrack rooms are of all size and they contain ten men each with a cubic space of 494 feet per man.
