Saighton Camp
| Saighton Camp | |
|---|---|
| Saighton | |
 The stone in the foreground is a War Office boundary stone for Saighton Camp | |
  Saighton Camp Location within Cheshire | |
| Coordinates | 53°10′19″N 2°51′32″W / 53.172°N 2.859°W |
| Type | Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1938-1939 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1939-1999 |
Saighton Camp was a military installation located between Saighton and Huntington covering an area of approximately 33 hectares.
History
[edit]The camp was created between 1938 and 1939 for use as a military training camp during the Second World War. It was established as a basic training facility for light anti-aircraft batteries and subsequently became the primary training centre for the 233 Light Anti-Aircraft Training Regiment of the Royal Artillery. In 1949, it became Training Centre No. 12 of the Royal Pioneer Corps, and in the 1950s and early 1960s it became a training centre for the Royal Corps of Signals.[1] The King's Own Royal Border Regiment were based at the site from 1973 to 1974,[2] the Green Howards were based there from 1974 to 1976,[3] the Queen's Lancashire Regiment were based there from 1976 to 1978[4] and the Gordon Highlanders were based there from 1978 to 1980.[5] The King's Regiment were billeted at the camp until its closure in 1985, when the regiment moved to the Dale Camp, Chester's last remaining military barracks.[6]
In the early 1980s Saighton became a training centre for the Royal Army Medical Corps. It remained open after the barracks closed but its use diminished until it was closed completely in 1999.[7]
In 2015, the site was cleared of its remaining military infrastructure. It is now a residential housing estate.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Saighton Camp". NAA Heritage consultants. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "King's Own Royal Border Regiment". British Army units 1945 on. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Green Howards". British Army units 1945 on. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Queen's Lancashire Regiment". British Army units 1945 on. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Gordon Highlanders". British Army units 1945 on. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "King's Regiment". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
- ^ "Saighton Camp". Hawksmoor. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "Residential expansion at Saighton Camp". Place North West. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2016.