The barracks, which were originally known as the Upper Barracks, Winchester, were built in the early 20th century on the site of
King's House, an unfinished palace designed by
Sir Christopher Wren for
Charles II, which had been used for barracks from 1794 until it was destroyed by fire in 1894. Some parts of the barracks remain Grade II
listed buildings in their own right including the Green Jackets Headquarters and the
Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum, the Gymnasium, the Main Entrance Gate Piers, the Gates and Flanking Railings and Piers, the Royal Hussars Museum (former Militia Stores), the East Block, the Guardroom, the Chapel and Schoolroom, the Mons Block, the North Block, the Weapons Training Shed and the West Block. The barracks became the
depot of the
King's Royal Rifle Corps and the
Rifle Brigade in 1858. The barracks went on to become the regional centre for infantry training as the
Green Jackets Brigade Depot in 1960. The name of the barracks was changed from Upper Barracks, Winchester to Peninsula Barracks in 1964. On 22 May 1964, General Sir
Gerald Lathbury, Colonel Commandant of the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) and also
Quartermaster-General to the Forces, whose responsibilities included all Army buildings, took the first passing-out parade in the rebuilt barracks. The barracks closed in 1985 and military training was moved to
Sir John Moore Barracks. The barracks also house the Regimental Headquarters of
The Rifles, and the Regimental Headquarters (South) of the
King's Royal Hussars. ==References==