MOD OPENS ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC

21 Aug 2002 11:46 AM

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will be throwing open the doors to a number of sites around the country during September. The MoD is taking part in the 'Heritage Open Days' initiative sponsored by English Heritage and co-ordinated by the Civic Trust. As in previous years, the event allows entry to sites normally inaccessible to the public and admission is free.

Most of the events are taking place between 13 and 16 September (see accompanying list). The MoD has taken part in the Heritage Open Days initiative since its inception in 1994. The event provides an opportunity to show the public the scope and quality of some of the historic buildings within its care - buildings which are normally closed to the public.

The MoD maintains the largest holding of any Government department and places great responsibility on Defence Estates (DE), the MoD agency that manages the estate, to protect the nation's heritage. DE publishes an annual report that provides a wealth of detail about these and other valued properties.

Notes to editors

1. A full list of participating sites is attached.

2. 'Heritage Open Days' is the UK's contribution to European Open Days, a Council of Europe initiative taking place in 47 countries.

3. Defence Estates is an Executive Agency of the MoD, which came into being on 1 April 1999. It was formerly known as the Defence Estates Organisation - amalgamation of the Defence Works Service, the Defence Lands Service and a Central Policy Division of the MoD. It was given an enhanced role in providing a strategic overview of the defence estate, rationalisation and disposals, following on from the Strategic Defence Review.

4. The DE 2001 annual report, 'Cultural Heritage Across the Defence Estate', is available of the DE website, (see below).

5. For further information contact: Ian Bickley on 0121 311 2046 or Mike Griffiths on 0121 311 3861 Defence Estates website address is http://www.defence-estates.mod.uk

6. The MoD website is http://www.mod.uk

PARTICIPATING SITES

MoD Site Address Dates

Action Stations HMNB Portsmouth 13 - 16 Sept

Aldershot Cambs Hospital Rd, Aldershot 13 Sept Military Hospital

Aldershot Military Hosp Gallwey Rd, Aldershot 16 Sept

Aldershot Royal Farnborough Rd, 13 Sept Garrison Church Aldershot

Aldershot Duke of Claycourt Rd, Aldershot 13 Sept Wellington Statue

Aldershot Prince Aldershot 13 Sept Consort Library

Dalhousie Castle Perth 28 Sept

Beckett House RMCS Shrivenham 15 Sept

Chester Military Museum Chester Castle 15 Sept

Defence Clothing Caversfield, Bicester 13 - 16 Sept and Textiles Agency

Defence Abbeywood, Bristol 14 Sept Procurement Agency

Dering Lines ITC Wales, Brecon 28 - 29 Sept

Fort Blockhouse Gosport 14 - 15 Sept

HM Naval Base Devonport, Plymouth 13 - 15 Sept

HM Naval Base - Naval Base Property 13 - 15 Sept Tour Trust, Plymouth

HMS Dryad WWII Ops Room, Fareham 13 Sept

HMS Excellent Whale Island, Portsmouth 14 - 15 Sept

HMS Nelson Portsmouth 14 Sept

HMS Victory HMNB Portsmouth 13 - 16 Sept

HMS Warrior HMNB Portsmouth 13 - 16 Sept

Mary Rose Trust HMNB Portsmouth 13 - 16 Sept

Naval Museum HMNB Portsmouth 13 - 16 Sept

HMS Sultan/Fort Rowner Gosport 14 - 15 Sept

Gurkha Museum Winchester 13 - 16 Sept

King's Royal Hussars
Museum Winchester 14 - 15 Sept

Maindy Barracks Cardiff 14 Sept

Otterburn Training Area Northumberland 15 Sept

Queen Victoria School Perthshire 7 - 8 Sept

RAF Air Defence Museum RAF Neatishead, Norfolk 14 Sept

RAF College Cranwell Sleaford, Lincs 14 Sept

RAF Halton Aylesbury 15 Sept

RNAS Yeovilton - St Ilchester, Somerset 13 - 16 Sept Bartholomews Church

Royal College Belgrave Sq, London 21 - 22 Sept of Defence Studies

Royal Engineers Museum Gillingham, Kent 14 - 15 Sept

Royal Green Jackets Winchester 13 - 16 Sept Museum

Royal Military Twickenham 21 - 22 Sept School of Music

Royal Naval Hospital, Gosport 14 - 15 Sept Haslar

St George's RAF Biggin Hill 13 - 16 Sept Chapel of Remembrance

Warminster Archaeology Warminster 14 - 15 Sept

Woolwich Royal Artillery Woolwich 21 - 22 Sept

Sites running in parallel with Heritage Open Days

RAF Northolt Ruislip 16 Sept

RAF Uxbridge Middlesex 22 Sept

RAF Bentley Priory Stanmore 31 Aug - 1 Sep

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