The Worcestershire Soldier at the Commandery

The Worcestershire Soldier at The Commandery is a once-in-a-generation project to safeguard public access to Worcestershire’s Regimental Museum collections.

The collections of the Mercian Regiment Museum and Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum tell the stories of our local infantry and cavalry – both regulars and volunteers – from their earliest origins in 1694.

They contain objects of national significance, including six Victoria Crosses, and evidence the service and sacrifice of individuals from local families and communities through both World Wars and beyond.

At present, these collections are almost entirely in storage

A long history – The collection covers 320 years of soldiering in the county

Local heroes – The Regimental collection includes six Victoria Crosses

Through the project, we intend to bring these collections and stories back into public view in a new long-term home.

With generous funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the UK Government’s Towns Fund, we have developed plans for four new permanent galleries at The Commandery, in the heart of Worcester’s heritage quarter.

The Mercian Regiment Museum (Worcestershire) and Worcester City Council are delighted to announce they have now been awarded a £1,045,122 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to put these plans into action, safeguarding the county’s Regimental museum collections and securing public access for the future.

At The Commandery, brand new displays will showcase highlights of the collections and use personal stories to make them accessible to modern audiences. The funding will enable critical conservation work to take place and allow unseen treasures to be shared with the public for the first time.

Alongside the galleries, a programme of linked activities will provide new ways for the public to get involved through volunteering, learning and events. This will help us forge links with local communities and engage a new generation with the stories we have to share, setting the Regimental museums up for a sustainable future.

Vision for the Beginnings Gallery – Credit: Redman Design

A taste of things to come – A pilot event at The Commandery

Our Project Partners and Funders

The Mercian Regiment Museum (Worcestershire) is leading the project. We are an independent accredited museum and registered charity which was founded in 1922 to collect and preserve the history, traditions and achievements of the Regular and Volunteer Infantry of the county from 1694 to the present day.

We are working with Worcester City Council and Museums Worcestershire, who will host the display at The Commandery, and The Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum, whose collection will form part of the display.

About Museums Worcestershire

Museums Worcestershire is the joint museum service of Worcester City and Worcestershire County Councils. It comprises three venues– Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, The Commandery in Worcester and The County Museum at Hartlebury Castle.

About Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum

The Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum was founded in January 1980 to hold together the traditions of the county’s volunteer cavalry Regiment, and to perpetuate its deeds. It is primarily concerned with the preservation of items and historical records relating to The Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars (Worcestershire Yeomanry) for educational purposes.

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The vision of The National Lottery Heritage Fund is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. As the largest funder for the UK’s heritage they are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in their strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. They believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. Over the next 10 years, they aim to invest £3.6 billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.

Further information

For further information and interviews please contact Dr John Paddock (Curator) or Dr Helen Hunter (Collections Manager) at The Mercian Regiment Museum (Worcestershire) on 07584638248.

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Get involved

Events will take place throughout the project, keep an eye social media for the latest updates.

To bring our plans to life, we need to reach our match funding target. Could you help us make it happen?

Support our fundraising appeal

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