Image description

NORTH WEST 

BATTLEFIELD AND MILITARY HERITAGE 

If you are  looking for something to do for an afternoon while on holiday somewhere in Britian, we can find a local expert guide for the battlefield and arrange a tour for you.  

 

The North West is home to some of Britian's finest military museums.  It also was the base and headquarters for the battle of the Atlantci, the battle for Britian's survival in the Second world war.  survival 


Events in the North West

If you are planning a tour to Britian, and would like to take in some of the spectacle of our military heritage we can help you to take advantage of the dozens of re-enactment and other events staged around the country.


We will be adding an events calendar so you can see what is on and where!

Hardknott Roman Fort

ituated in a remote part of the Lake District at the western end of the Hardknott pass, this Roman fort commands views of the Eskdale Valley and the Roman road to Ravenglass. Dating from the time of Hadrian in the 2nd Century, the well-marked remains include the headquarters building, commandant's house and bath house. 

Lancaster Castle 

Described by English Heritage as ‘the North-West's most important historic and archaeological monument’ Lancaster Castle has only recently been fully opened to the public. Part of it is still used as a Crown Court. Highlights are the 12th century keep, the Witches’ Tower (14th c) and the 15th c gatehouse. Held by Parliamentary forces in the Civil War it was unsuccessfully besieged by the Royalists. It was briefly held by the Jacobites in 1715 before their defeat at the Battle of Preston.

Lancashire Infantry Museum 

With the largest regimental archive in the North of England, the museum is a major centre for military historical research. Housed in Fulwood Barracks, Preston, the traditional home of the county infantry regiments that now form part of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, its collection covers historical material from all its antecedent Lancashire regiments. Military artefacts on display range from the American war of Independence to the Afghanistan conflict of the present day.

Imperial War Museum North 

Housed in a dramatic building overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal, the Imperial War Museum North covers all aspects of conflict around the globe. Key exhibits include a Harrier Jump Jet, the field gun that fired the first shell of the First World War, and a section of steel recovered from the New York World Trade Center. Features in the main exhibition include a timeline tracing the history of conflict from 1914 to the present day, and The Big Picture Show – a regular audio visual experience capturing the sights and sounds of war.

Liverpool U Boat Story 

One of a handful of surviving World War II German submarines, the U-534 can now be found on display next to the Birkenhead Woodside Ferry Terminal. Sunk in 1945 the U Boat was salvaged in 1993 and later brought to the Mersey. It has been cut into sections, allowing visitors to inspect its interior without entering the hull. Interactive displays and archive film recreate life onboard the submarine in wartime. 

Carlisle Castle

Built on the site of a Roman fort close by Hadrian’s Wall, Carlisle Castle was until recently the headquarters of the former King's Own Royal Border Regiment. It houses the Cumbria Military Museum, which tells the story of the Border Regiment, and a new exhibition about the castle’s role in the Anglo-Scottish wars, the Wars of the Roses, the Civil War and the second Jacobite rebellion. 

Birdoswald Fort - Hadrian’s Wall 

The extensive remains of the Birdoswald Roman Fort are a good starting point for exploring the longest remaining continuous stretch of Hadrian’s Wall. Known to the Romans as Banna, it is one of the best preserved of the 16 forts along the wall. The visitor centre contains interactive displays and a model of how the wall would have looked at full height. 

Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker

Hack Green was a Regional Government Headquarters bunker, built to keep administration going after a nuclear attack. Now a museum with a Cold War theme, exhibits include the nose section of an F-4 Phantom jet and a display simulating conditions in the bunker during a nuclear attack. It has one of the world’s largest collections of decommissioned nuclear weapons, and a ballistic missile early warning system originally from RAF High Wycombe.

Liverpool Western Approaches Museum 

This bunker below Derby House in Liverpool served as the Western Approaches Command HQ during the Second World War. It includes the Operations Room where the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Marines worked together, tracking the positions of shipping convoys and enemy submarines on a massive situation map. This nerve centre of the Battle of the Atlantic has now been restored to recreate conditions during wartime operations.

Cheshire Military Museum 

This attractive exhibition tells the story of four army regiments connected with Cheshire, starting with the raising of the regular army after Charles II’s Restoration in 1660. An interactive, visual display illustrates key events involving the soldiers of Cheshire. The museum also houses the archive of the Cheshire Regiment. 

Beeston Castle, Cheshire

The Castle of the Rock, as it was known in the Middle Ages, stands on a crag with three steep sides. Its best preserved feature, the inner bailey, offers spectacular views over eight counties. Twice besieged in the Civil War then partially demolished, the ruins became a popular visitor attraction. Features include a castle history exhibition and wildlife trails in the surrounding woodland park

Merseyside Maritime Museum

The museum’s Battle of the Atlantic gallery commemorates the role of the Merchant Navy in keeping open the North Atlantic shipping routes during the Second World War. The display focuses on the men and ships of the merchant fleet, German U Boats and surface ships, as well as the weapons, technology and tactics used. It also highlights Liverpool’s role as Britain’s most important port during the war. The museum overlooks the Albert Dock, home to Royal Navy escort ships during the war. 

Battle of Solway Moss

Part of the first Jacobite Rising and the last battle fought on English soil. The Jacobites entered Preston on 9th November, heading south. Faced with government forces south of the River Ribble, they withdrew into the town of Preston where they were besieged. Streets were barricaded and houses were set on fire. Those streets still exist, but there is no monument to the battle which ended with the Jacobites’ surrender on 14th November.

 Battle of Preston 1715

This is some sample text where there will be description of the destination and encouraging the reader to visit the destination page promoting this particular battlefield or military heritage site. The links from this paragraph link to a sample page. If you would like to either promote a battlefield or become a member of Brtityish Battlefields contact us here info@britishbattlefields.com

Battle of Preston 1648

A victory for Cromwell’s New Model Army over the Royalists and Scots in the Second Civil War. The battle was fought over two days, mostly at Walton-le-Dale, south of Preston. The present day bridge on the River Ribble is about 50 yards upstream from the old bridge where much of the fighting took place, chiefly in the lanes leading from the high ground to the river.

Bury Fusilier Museum

The Fusilier Museum in Bury houses the collections of the XX Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Together they document over 300 years of history of those who served in these regiments. The museum’s archives include service records and diaries of the Lancashire Fusiliers.

Museum of the Manchester Regiment

Located in Ashton-under-Lyne Town Hall, the museum tells the story of the Manchester Regiment and its soldiers from 1756 to 1958. Displays include uniforms, equipment and weaponry, plus medals and souvenirs from overseas campaigns. Interactive displays include a First World War trench and a 1950s barrack room.

Battle of Nantwich

Scene of a decisive Parliamentarian victory in the Civil War. The Royalist siege of Nantwich was relieved by Sir Thomas Fairfax’s Parliamentarian army on 25th January 1644. The pasture land on the site today has changed little except for the addition of the Shropshire Union Canal, whose towpath provides an access route through the battlefield. Annual re-enactments by the Sealed Knot Society.