From cavalry horse to Sherman tank
From the moment of its inception, York has been a garrison town. Its story began when 5,000 men of the Ninth Legion marched from Lincoln and set up camp here in AD 71. Since then soldiers have been billeted in the city through war and peace, advances and retreats, sieges and stand-offs.
Fulford, to the south of the city centre, was home to the cavalry from 1795. Later, the Victorian army established Imphal Barracks here, Northern Command HQ for many years. Even in more recent times, the barracks were still at the centre of things; a ceremony to celebrate the formation of the Yorkshire Regiment was held at Imphal in 2006.
Info
Address 3 Tower Street, York YO1 9SB, +44 (0)1904 461010, www.yorkarmymuseum.co.uk, info@yorkarmymuseum.co.uk | Public Transport Across Tower Street from Castle car park. Closest bus stop: Tower Street | Hours Tue–Fri 9:30am–4:30pm, Sat & Sun 10am–4pm, Mon closed| Tip Yorkshire regiments regularly parade through York, exercising their freedom of the city, an honour bestowed on them by the City of York Council; keep an eye on the local press for the next event.
Another recent addition to the city’s military associations is the York Army Museum. Although there has long been a military museum in this former Territorial Army drill hall, it was revitalised with £1 million of lottery funding in 2015, and is now home to some of the most important regimental collections in Britain.
The museum’s official role is to conserve the heritage of the Royal Dragoon Guards, the Yorkshire Regiment, and its antecedent regiments. But now it is a lot more visitor friendly, telling their story from 1685 onwards with smart new displays, interactive activities, and heartrending accounts from the front line. This allows visitors to experience a sense of the changing face of warfare. A life-sized model of a cavalry horse and rider contrasts sharply with the depiction of a Sherman tank. Footage shows the regiments in action, and there is quite a terrifying display of personal weaponry. There are even opportunities to handle the guns and medals of war heroes.
The museum plans to stage regular temporary exhibitions. The first, opened in 2016, told the story of the Yorkshire Pals – those First World War regiments created in specific towns and workplaces by volunteers proud to sign up for king and country.
Nearby
Back
To the online map