High West Street drill hall, Dorchester

The building, which was built as a residential property in 1849, was converted in the late 19th century for use as the headquarters of the Dorsetshire Rifle Volunteers.[1] This unit evolved to become the 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1887 and the 4th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1908.[2] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to India.[3][4] After the Territorial Army infantry presence in Dorchester was reduced to a single company, C Company (Dorset), Wessex Volunteers,[2] at the newly built Poundbury Road Territorial Army Centre, in 1967,[5] the High West Street drill hall was decommissioned and subsequently converted for commercial use.[1]