Government House, Aldershot Explained

Government House is a building in Aldershot Garrison near Aldershot, Hampshire, England.

History

The house was built in Queen Anne revival style as the garrison commander's house in 1883. A military horse cemetery was created in the grounds of the house in the late 1880s.[1] Most of the house was destroyed in a serious fire in January 1903, but there were no casualties and soldiers from nearby barracks managed to salvage much of the furniture and valuables.[2] The new house was remodelled internally and it became the garrison officers' mess.[3] In May 1904, shortly after the house re-opened, Lieutenant General Sir John French, Commanding the Troops at Aldershot, hosted a visit by the Prince and Princess of Wales there[4] and in July 1914 Lieutenant General Sir Douglas Haig, Commander-in-Chief Aldershot Command, was waiting anxiously inside the house when he heard that the First World War had broken out.[5]

In the 1920s and 1930s searchlight military tattoos were held in the grounds of Government House.[6] The house was designated as Grade II listed in 2002. The building was again extensively refurbished in 2012 by Rydon[7] and the Queen's Dining Room continues to be used to entertain important visitors to the garrison.[3] The stables at the house will be converted for use as accommodation as part of the Army 2020 plan.[8]

Sources

51.2724°N -0.7593°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Warhorse. Army Golf Club. 1 August 2015.
  2. Disastrous fire at Aldershot . 16 January 1903 . 4 . 36979.
  3. Web site: Government House. Rydon. 1 August 2015.
  4. Web site: Group photograph including the Prince and Princess of Wales, taken at Aldershot, May 1904. Royal Collection Trust. 1 August 2015.
  5. Rowlands, p. 56
  6. Web site: The Aldershot Command Searchlight Tattoos . Aldershot Military Museum . 1 August 2015 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20141123135842/http://www3.hants.gov.uk/aldershot-museum/local-history-aldershot/aldershot-tattoo.htm . 23 November 2014 .
  7. Web site: Aspirations. 9. Spring 2013. Aspire Defence. 1 August 2015.
  8. Web site: MoD to reveal base plans for soldiers returning from Germany. Get Hampshire. 22 July 2014. 1 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924022229/http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/local-news/mod-reveal-aldershot-base-plans-7472455. 24 September 2015. dead.