Nottinghamshire's Military Heritage

Not only is Nottingham the heart of the East Midlands, it has also been at the heart of the development of the British army since the days of the Norman Conquest. Nottingham and the surrounding towns and villages within the county have been home to some of England’s infamous military power bases and through a 1,000-year history, wherever the army has travelled to and fought, so too has the legacy of Nottinghamshire.

The county can lay claim to two major castles, the townhouse that housed a defeated French general, and a battlefield where a pretender to the English throne was defeated. Notable individuals include English Civil War generals, admirals who led expeditions during the great age of sail, and Nottinghamshire’s own legion of Victoria Cross winners who have shown courage in the face of the enemy. Even the current army barracks were once site to a shell-filling factory in World War 1 and a tank manufacturing factory in World War 2. Post World War Two, troops destined for Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq have all been stationed at the Chetwynd barracks in South Notts.

Between the county regiment’s, the Sherwood Foresters (45th and 95th regiments) and the 2nd Nottinghamshires (59th regiment), they have contributed to almost every engagement the British army has taken part in since the English Civil War, and where the regiments may not have fought, notable individual soldiers from the Nottinghamshire towns have fought at Blenheim, Waterloo, Rorkes Drift and other battlefields synonymous with Britain’s military heritage.

All those wishing to know more about the military heritage of Nottinghamshire will find this book of interest.