Pirbright Camp

Pirbright Camp is a British Army installation in Pirbright, Surrey. It houses the Army Training Centre Pirbright, and a number of other units.

Pirbright Camp
Pirbright
Pirbright Camp entrance
Pirbright Camp Location within Surrey
Coordinates	51°18′13″N 00°39′50″W
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	British Army
Site history
Built	1875
Built for	War Office
In use	1875 – present

History

In 1875, the War Office acquired 3,070 acres (12.4 km²) of Pirbright's heath which is the southern end of the north-south range of sand hills in Surrey heath, known as Chobham Ridges. It established rifle ranges, a training depot and an 'encampment' for the Brigade of Guards here.^[1] Many of the current buildings date from the 1950s, with significant expansion in the 1970s.^[2]

In April 2021, following the Death of the Duke of Edinburgh, members from across the armed forces, including:^[3] the Household Cavalry, Queen's Royal Hussars, Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Welsh Guards, The Highlanders,^[4][5] Royal Gurkha Rifles, and The Rifles; along with personnel from the Royal Marines, Royal Navy, and Queen's Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force all took part in training at Brunswick Lines in preparation for his funeral.^[6]

Current units

• Alexander Barracks^[2][7][8]
  • Army Training Centre Pirbright^[9]
• Elizabeth Barracks
  • 3rd Battalion, Ranger Regiment^[10]
• Brunswick Lines
  • Household Division and Parachute Regiment Centralised Courses^[11]

In media

Pirbright was the filming location for British Army Girls, a three-part television documentary first shown on Channel 4 in April 2016.^[12][13]

References

1. "Pirbright History". Surrey Property. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
2. "Plan to improve barracks accommodation for returning forces". Get Surrey. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
3. "Prince Philip's Funeral: What's The Military's Role On The Day?". Forces Network. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
4. Preparing the Uniforms | HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | British Army, retrieved 15 April 2021
5. "Scottish Troops Prepare to Say Goodbye to Beloved Royal Colonel, Prince Philip". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
6. Ceremonial Duty Rehearsals | HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | British Army, retrieved 15 April 2021
7. 'Parishes: Pirbright' A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3, ed. H E Malden, London, 1911, pp. 363-365, accessed 9 April 2015.
8. "Army recruit found hanged at Pirbright camp". Get Surrey. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
9. "Army Training Centre, Pirbright" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
10. "Future Soldier Guide" (PDF). 25 November 2021. p. 70. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
11. "IG Junior Non-Commissioned Officer". nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 July 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
12. "British Army Girls". Channel 4. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
13. Wallop, Harry (3 April 2016). "The army girls proving they are prepared to kill". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 May 2017.