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 cool place to visit in Monmouth, Wales. It's found on Castle Hill, inside a part of Great Castle House. This house is a very old and important building. The museum mainly shows off the history of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. This is a very old and important army group. The museum also keeps all their old records safe.
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About the Museum
The Monmouth Regimental Museum is also called the Castle and Regimental Museum, Monmouth. It sits high up on Castle Hill in Monmouth. The museum is in a newer part of Great Castle House. This house was built in the 1600s and is a grade I listed building. It's one of 24 special buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail.
Great Castle House was built in 1673 from the old Monmouth Castle ruins. It was made by the 1st Duke of Beaufort as a town home. Today, the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) use it as their home base. This group is the oldest regiment in the British Territorial Army.
The museum was opened in 1989 by the Duke of Gloucester. It has won an award for helping Monmouth. The museum is run by volunteers and it's free to enter. Many people think it's one of the best places to visit in Monmouth.
History of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers
The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers started as a local group of volunteers. Now, it's the only volunteer army unit left in the British Army. It's a key part of the Territorial Army reserves. The Territorial Army is made up of volunteers who train and serve when needed.
This group first gathered in 1539. It survived many tough times, like sieges. For 200 years, it was a local volunteer unit. From 1877 to 1896, it was an Engineer regiment. After that, it became a Royal Engineer regiment. In 1896, it also became the only unit with two "Royals" in its name.
The soldiers in this regiment wear a special cap badge. It's called the "Prince of Wales Division cap badge." This is unique to them among the Royal Engineers. In December 2010, the BBC News reported on the regiment's recent service. They were with the 21st Engineer Regiment in Afghanistan. After coming home, the soldiers had a parade in Monmouth. They also received their service medals.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has many cool displays. You can learn about the volunteer army structure. You can also find out about the Dukes of Beaufort. There are special exhibits about the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers. These include why they have two "Royal" names. You can also see their special flags and "Freedoms."
Some of the items on display are:
- A drum from the late 1800s.
- A water testing kit.
- A canned cake ration from World War II.
The museum also shows that this regiment is the oldest in the Reserve Army. You can learn about the old walls and defenses of Monmouth. There are also archaeological finds. One old item is a cooking pot found on Castle Hill. It looks like an ancient version of a slow cooker!
You can see a colonel's uniform and World War II cigarette packages. There's even an infant gas mask. The museum also covers Wales during wartime. It shows the role of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers in recent wars. Outside the building, you can see larger military vehicles. These include a British armoured fighting vehicle. The War Memorial of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers is also nearby. It's a special monument on Castle Hill.
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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
Museum Archives
Besides showing cool objects, the museum also keeps important records. It holds documents for the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers from 1786 to 1991. These records show how the regiment's name changed over time.
Here's how the name evolved:
- From 1660 to 1793, it was the "Monmouthshire Militia."
- Then, until 1804, it was the "Monmouth and Brecon Militia."
- In 1804, it first got the "Royal" name, becoming the "Royal Monmouth and Brecon Militia."
- In 1820, it changed to the "Royal Monmouthshire Militia."
- From 1852 to 1877, it was the "Royal Monmouthshire (Light Infantry) Militia."
- Then, it changed from a foot soldier role to an engineer role. It became the "Royal Monmouthshire Engineers (Militia)."
- Finally, in 1896, it became a Royal Engineer unit. It was named the "Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia)."
The museum's archives include lists of soldiers and their enlistment records. Some of these records can be searched online. The records show that soldiers came from all over England and Wales, not just Monmouthshire. The museum and its archives are listed with the United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials (UKNIWM). This group helps people learn about and protect war memorials.
