| Norton Barracks | |
|---|---|
| Norton, Worcestershire | |
 Norton Barracks | |
  Norton Barracks Location within Worcestershire | |
| Coordinates | 52°09′47″N2°11′35″W / 52.163°N 2.193°W |
| Type | Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1874-1877 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1877-1987 |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Worcestershire Regiment |
Norton Barracks is a former military installation in Norton, Worcestershire. The keep is a Grade II listed building.
The barracks were built in the Fortress Gothic Revival Style between 1874 and 1877. [1] Their creation took place as part of the Cardwell Reforms which encouraged the localisation of British military forces. [2] The barracks became the depot for the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot. [3] Following the Childers Reforms, the 29th and 36th Regiments amalgamated as the Worcestershire Regiment with its depot in the barracks in 1881. [3] Many recruits were enlisted at the barracks during the early stages of the First World War. [1] A Regimental Museum was established at the barracks in 1933 and the barracks continued to operate as a training facility during the Second World War. [1]
In 1970 the Worcestershire Regiment amalgamated with the Sherwood Foresters to form the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment which established its depot at Battlesbury Barracks in Warminster. The Worcestershire Regiment Museum collection moved to the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum in 1970. [4] At around the same time 14 Signal Regiment (Satellite and Heavy Radio) moved onto the site and remained there until they were disbanded in 1977. [1]
In 1987 the keep was sold to property developers for conversion into apartments and the rest of the site was developed as a housing estate. [1] The site remains the home of the Worcester Norton Shooting Club. [5]
In 1990, a woman named Gilly Paige, with whom John Cannan had been in a relationship after the disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh, informed police that Cannan had spoken about the Lamplugh case and told her that Lamplugh was buried at Norton Barracks. [6] [7] Based on the evidence, the police began a search for Lamplugh's body and investigators wanted to dig at Norton Barracks. [8] The area had been significantly redeveloped in the intervening years, however, the Army having left the site in 1979 [9] and investigators were not able to dig in the area because of the houses now standing there. [10]
In 2022 a statue of a sentry by Scottish sculptor John McKenna was unveiled near the barracks. [11] Anne, Princess Royal later paid a visit to the sculpture in 2023 to honour those who served in the Worcestershire Regiment. [12]
The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales') (or simply "Staffords" for short) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment was formed in 1959 by the amalgamation of the South Staffordshire Regiment and the North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales'), and in 2007 was amalgamated with the Cheshire Regiment and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment to become the 3rd Battalion, Mercian Regiment.
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The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, which is recruited from five of the counties that formed the ancient kingdom of Mercia. Known as 'The Heart of England's Infantry', it was formed on 1 September 2007 by the amalgamation of three existing regiments. The Regiment has had fifteen operational deployments since its formation.
The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment served as the county regiment for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire.
The 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1694. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot to become the 1st Battalion, the Worcestershire Regiment in 1881.
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Susannah Jane Lamplugh was a British estate agent reported missing on 28 July 1986 in Fulham, London, England, United Kingdom. She was officially declared dead, presumed murdered, in 1993. The last clue to Lamplugh's whereabouts was an appointment to show a house in Shorrolds Road to someone she called Mr. Kipper. The case remains unsolved.
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The 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1701. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot to form the Worcestershire Regiment in 1881. Its lineage is continued today by the Mercian Regiment.
The Worcestershire Regiment was a line infantry regiment in the British Army, formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment fought in many conflicts, including both the First and Second World Wars, until 1970, when it was amalgamated with the Sherwood Foresters to form the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment. In September 2007, the regiment amalgamated with the Cheshire Regiment and the Staffordshire Regiment to form the Mercian Regiment.
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