Monmouth Regimental Museum facts for kids
Monmouth Regimental Museum (left) and Great Castle House (right) on Castle Hill in Monmouth
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| Established | 1989 |
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| Location | Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK |
| Type | Military |
The Monmouth Regimental Museum is a special place on Castle Hill in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. It's inside a part of Great Castle House, which is a very old and important building on the Monmouth Heritage Trail. This museum mainly shows the history of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. This is the oldest regiment in the British Territorial Army. Great Castle House is also where the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers are based, and the museum keeps all their important historical records.
Contents
About the Museum
The Monmouth Regimental Museum, also called the Castle and Regimental Museum, is found on Castle Hill in Monmouth, Wales. It's at the highest point in the town centre. The museum is in a part of Great Castle House that was built in the 1800s. Great Castle House itself is a very old building from the 1600s. It is a Grade I listed building, meaning it's super important historically.
Great Castle House is one of 24 buildings in Monmouth with a special blue plaque. These plaques tell you that something important happened there. In 1673, the 1st Duke of Beaufort built Great Castle House using stones from the old Monmouth Castle. He built it as a town house while his other homes were being fixed. Today, the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) use this three-storey building as their home base.
The museum was opened in 1989 by the Duke of Gloucester. It's run by amazing volunteers and you can visit for free! Many people think it's one of the best places to visit in Monmouth. The museum has even won the Prince of Wales Award for its great work in the town.
The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers
The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers started as a local group of volunteers called a militia. Today, it's the only militia unit left in the British Army and a key part of the Territorial Army reserves. The Territorial Army is made up of volunteers who train regularly and can be called upon if needed.
This unit first gathered in 1539. It survived many tough times, including sieges, and was a militia for 200 years. From 1877 to 1896, it was an Engineer regiment. After that, it became a Royal Engineer regiment. In 1896, the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers also became the only unit with two "Royals" in its name!
Instead of a regular badge, soldiers in this regiment wear a special cap badge and a "militia flash." In 2010, members of the regiment served in Operation Herrick in Afghanistan. When they returned, they were celebrated with a parade in Monmouth. They also received their service medals.
What You Can See
The museum has many interesting displays. You can learn about the militia's structure and the Dukes of Beaufort. There are also exhibits about the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. You'll find out why they have "Royal" twice in their name.
Some cool objects on display include:
- A regimental drum from the late 1800s.
- A water testing kit.
- A canned cake ration from World War II.
You can also learn about the regiment's history as the oldest regiment in the Reserve Army. The museum also shows off the medieval walls of Monmouth. These are very old defenses from the Middle Ages. One amazing medieval item found on Castle Hill is a fireless cooking pot. It looks like an ancient version of a slow cooker!
Other exhibits include a colonel's uniform and World War II cigarette packages. There's even an infant gas mask. You can also learn about Wales during wartime and the role of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers in recent wars. Outside the museum, you can see larger pieces of military equipment. This includes a British armoured vehicle. The War Memorial of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers is also nearby. It is a Grade II listed memorial.
Museum Archives
Besides showing historical objects, the Monmouth Regimental Museum also keeps important records of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. These documents cover the period from 1786 to 1991. They show how the regiment's name changed over many years.
Here's how the name changed:
- From 1660 to 1793, it was the "Monmouthshire Militia."
- Then, until 1804, it was the "Monmouth and Brecon Militia."
- In 1804, it became "Royal" for the first time as the "Royal Monmouth and Brecon Militia."
- In 1820, it changed to the "Royal Monmouthshire Militia."
- Between 1852 and 1877, it was called the "Royal Monmouthshire (Light Infantry) Militia."
- Then, the unit changed from infantry (foot soldiers) to engineers. It became the "Royal Monmouthshire Engineers (Militia)."
- Finally, in 1896, it became a Royal Engineer unit and got its current name: the "Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia)."
The museum's archives also have lists of soldiers and their enlistment records. Some of these records are even available online! These records show that soldiers in the regiment came from all over England and Wales, not just the Monmouthshire area. The museum and its archives are part of the United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials (UKNIWM). This group helps people learn about and protect war memorials across the UK.
Images for kids
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A display cabinet at the museum
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Colonel's uniform, militia, at the museum
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Siege gun
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Militia mannequin
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collection of deactivated firearms
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model of an Inglis bridge
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military bulldozer
