The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum facts for kids
The Wardrobe, Salisbury
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| Established | 1982 |
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| Location | The Close, Salisbury, England |
| Type | Military Museum |
The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum is a military museum located in Salisbury, England. It is found inside a special old building called The Wardrobe. This building is a Grade II* listed building, which means it is a very important historical place. The museum tells the story of two famous army groups: the Royal Berkshire Regiment and the Wiltshire Regiment.
The Wardrobe Building's Past
The very first building on this spot was built a long, long time ago, in 1254. It was rebuilt in the 1400s. For many years, it was used to store the special robes of the Bishop of Salisbury. This is why it became known as "The Wardrobe."
What You Can See at the Museum
This museum brings together the collections of two different army groups. One collection came from the Royal Berkshire Regiment, which had its own museum in Reading. The other came from the Wiltshire Regiment, which had a museum in Devizes.
The people in charge of the museum bought "The Wardrobe" building in 1981. The new museum officially opened in July 1982. It was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh. Over the years, the museum's name changed a few times. It was first called the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment Museum. Later, it was known as "Redcoats in the Wardrobe." Then, it became the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (Salisbury) Museum. Since 2007, it has been known as the Rifles (Berkshire and Wiltshire) Museum. Today, it has many interesting items related to both the Royal Berkshire Regiment and the Wiltshire Regiment.
