Armed Forces Day takes place on the last Saturday of June. This year it falls on Saturday 29 June.
In Winchester you can learn more about the Armed Forces and our city and district’s rich military history by visiting Winchester’s Military Museums – situated on the historic and visually beautiful site of Peninsula Barracks, next to the Great Hall. This is a unique site with six military museums to explore:
The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum, Horsepower, The Museum of The King’s Royal Hussars, The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, The Rifles Museum, The Gurkha Museum and The Adjutant General’s Corps Museum.
Find out about the regiments ahead of their time with their ideas and approaches to soldiering; admire colourful uniforms, medals, weapons and military models; hear the sounds of battle; try on battle armour; learn about the Gurkhas of Nepal enlisted to fight for Britain; and more.
Or, if you’d like to visit the museums from the comfort of your own home, scroll down the Winchester Military Museum’s website homepage to a link to virtual tours – first made available during lockdown. Discover museum opening times and admission prices (including FREE admissions) here.
Winchester College are running their War Cloister tours on selected dates which detail how War Cloister was the vision of Headmaster Montague Rendall and was originally designed as a memorial to the 500 Wykehamists killed during the First World War.
Don’t forget, we also have a Military Trail you can follow, taking you through Winchester city centre and beyond. Learn about Iron Age forts, Civil War sites and the completion of a nuclear bunker site at Twyford. Download the leaflet or pick up a copy from the city’s visitor information centre, on the ground floor of the Guildhall.
Visit Fort Nelson to see the Royal Armouries’ ‘must see’ national collection of artillery. Until Sunday 31 December, experience the free D-Day 80 exhibition Entry is by pre-booked ticket only.
