The foundation stone for the Drill Hall in Glyndwr Road, off Park Avenue, Aberystwyth was laid by Mrs G Fossett Roberts on 14th April 1903. The Hall was opened in 1904.

According to W J Lewis, 'Born on a Perilous Rock: Aberystwyth Past and Present' , there were two military bodies in Aberystwyth history: first, the Cardiganshire Militia; and second, the Volunteers. The latter were first formed in 1860 as 'Cardiganshire Volunteer Rifle Corps'. In 1901 they were reformed as the Cardiganshire Artillery Volunteers and redesignated the Cardiganshire Royal Garrison Artillery Volunteers the following year. In 1908 they were transferred into the new Territorial Force and known as the Cardiganshire Battery, 2nd Welsh Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.

There were two Volunteers companies, one in Tal-y-bont and the other in Aberystwyth. The Aberystwyth company drilled on the Sand Marsh and moved north as that was built over. The Town Hall served as their armoury. Their shooting range was at Craiglais (at the bottom of Constitution Hill) and manoeuvres were held on the beach.

The hall is a single storey, stuccoed building with a gable entrance. It has 4 round-headed windows to the front with a pillar to either side and a circular window above.

Attempts were made to get the building listed in 1987 and 2002.

In recent years the hall has been used for community event, auctions and as a store for Ceredigion Museum. The hall is due for demolition in late 2014.

References:
Cambrian News 10/1/2002
The Drill Hall Project - www.drillhalls.org

Additional:

The Drill Hall was built in 1903 and opened in 1904. Drill halls were architecturally eclectic, and Aberystwyth's Drill Hall was not obviously a military building but was designed more in the style of a classical chapel with an open pediment. The only indication of the military function of the building were the crenellations crowning the pilaster-buttresses of the front elevation (later removed). A large doorway (a distinctive feature of drill halls) allowed marching soldiers to enter the hall from the square in front of the building. In the 1920s the square was flanked by Glyndwr Road, a terrace built on council-owned land as part of the campaign to provide `homes fit for heroes?. This was an interesting and complete early C20th group relating to the years either side of World War I.

There are period photos of the exterior (Public Library, Aberystwyth) and interior (Cerdigion Museum) of the Drill Hall.

Demolition of the building began on the 11th Nov. 2014; the foundation stone has been removed for safekeeping.

R.F. Suggett/RCAHMW/November 2014.