The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum

20/06/2026

📯 Hear Ye! Hear Ye! 📯

The gates are open and our Medieval Weekend is underway! ⚔️🏰

Join us from 10am–5pm for a day of knights, combat, living history, and hands-on medieval adventures for all the family.

🕙 10:00– Living History Displays
🛡️ 10:30– Arming of a 13th-Century Knight
⚔️ 11:00– See Knightly (and Not So Knightly!) Combat
🏕️ 11:45– Living History Displays
👑 12:45– Knight School (£5 per head)
Get kitted up and learn how to use real weapons of the time! Open to all ages.

🚶 13:45– Living History Displays & Medieval Marching
🛡️ 14:15– Arming of a 13th-Century Knight
⚔️ 15:00– See Knightly (and Not So Knightly!) Combat
🚶 15:45– Living History Displays & Medieval Marching
👑 16:15– Knight School (£5 per head)
Once more unto the training field! Open to all ages.

😮‍💨 17:00– End of the day!

Whether thou art a noble lord, a brave knight, or a curious peasant, there is much merriment to be found. Come forth and step back in time!

19/06/2026

⚔️🏰 Tomorrow, The Wardrobe goes back to the Middle Ages! 🏰⚔️

The tents are almost pitched, the knights from The House of the Twin Tailed Lion .lions are preparing for battle, and our Medieval Weekend is nearly here!

Join us this weekend for two action-packed days of living history, where you can:

🛡️ Watch exciting battles
⚔️ Meet medieval re-enactors
🏹 Discover fascinating crafts and skills
👑 Learn about life over 500 years ago
⭐ Take part in Knight School and train like a knight of the realm!

Join us from 10am-5pm. No booking required, just turn up and prepare for a journey back in time!

18/06/2026

👑⚔️ Hear ye, hear ye! Our Medieval Weekend is just 2 days away! ⚔️👑

The countdown is on to a weekend of knights, battles, medieval crafts and living history here at The Wardrobe.

This Saturday and Sunday, our museum garden will be transformed into a medieval encampment by reenactiment group, The House of the Twin Tailed Lion .lions . Meet medieval folk, discover how people lived over 500 years ago, see traditional crafts in action and experience history brought to life before your eyes.

Will you be a noble lord? A brave knight? Or perhaps a humble peasant for the day?

Whatever your station, there's plenty to discover!

📅 20th & 21st June
🎟️ Entry by donation!
📍 The Rifles Berkshire & Wiltshire Museum

No need to book – simply gather your household and join us!

16/06/2026

With football team kicking off their World Cup campaign this evening, allow us to tell you all about the second player in our Wiltshire Regiment and Royal Berkshire Regiment combined World Cup XI.

Sergeant Charles Giles was a stalwart of the 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment's team for many years- watch this reel to learn more about his story!

12/06/2026

With the FIFA World Cup having kicked off in the USA, that got us thinking... Could we put together a starting eleven of footballers who served with either the Wiltshire or Royal Berkshire Regiment?

Join us throughout the tournament to discover the stories of players who served their country with our regiments!

Starting in goal for our team is Sergeant Jesse Winter Whatley. Born in Trowbridge on the 20th January 1895, Jesse was one of six Whatley sons who served in the First World War.

Having enlisted in September 1914, he joined the 4th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment (later 1/4th Battalion) and served in India, Egypt and Palestine whilst rising to the rank of Company Sergeant Major. During his time in the regiment, he also worked as a Physical Training Instructor.

A talented footballer, Jesse played in goal for both his Battalion, and the British Army, representing an Egyptian Army XI football team against Belgium and France football teams during the First World War.

After his demobilisation in 1919, he returned to Trowbridge and joined Trowbridge Town FC, a non-league side, in August. However, he was not playing non-league football for long. After only two months, his talent was spotted by Bristol Rovers, and he signed professional terms.

Despite conceding five goals on his debut against Norwich, Jesse became a fan favourite. Nicknamed 'Gentleman Jess', he went on to play 386 times for 'The Gas', including a remarkable 246 consecutive games between 1922 and 1928.

After more than a decade, he left Rovers in 1930, going on to scout for Trowbridge FC and then coaching non-league teams such as Soundwell FC. Later in life, he would leave football altogether to work on a farm in Westerleigh, Gloucestershire.
Jesse died on the 19th March 1982.

10/06/2026

'Rifling Through History- A Bayonet Charge Through 300 Years of Soldiering'

Join us on Wednesday 1 July at 7pm (doors open from 6:30pm) for a fascinating evening exploring over 300 years of infantry soldiering through six iconic fi****ms.

Discover how advances in weapon technology transformed battlefield tactics, influenced military strategy, and reshaped the uniforms, equipment, and daily lives of British soldiers on campaign. From the smoothbore musket of the 18th century to the automatic rifles of today, this engaging talk brings military history to life.

Our speaker, Ian Perry, is a volunteer here at The Rifles Berkshire & Wiltshire Museum and a specialist in fi****ms and edged weapons. During a varied career, Ian served in the Royal Engineers and spent 30 years working in weapon and armour design, armoured vehicle development, and military operational analysis. His service took him to Germany, Hong Kong, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Norway, supporting military planning at the highest levels of the British Army.

🎟️ Tickets: £12
🍷 Includes a complimentary glass of wine, tea, or coffee on arrival

Whether you're a military history enthusiast, interested in technology, or simply looking for an engaging evening out, this promises to be a fascinating talk.

Book your tickets now via our website:
https://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/whats-on/rifling-through-history-evening-talk-1st-july-2026

09/06/2026

On this day in 1959, the amalgamation parade of the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire & Wiltshire) took place.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire) took its name from its parents; The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) and the Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s).

This parade took place at Albany Barracks, Parkhurst, Isle of Wight, at which His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, GBE, Colonel-in-Chief the Wiltshire Regiment, presented Colours to his new Regiment. The ‘Advance’ was sounded and the guards marched on parade to the tune ‘Blue Bonnets o'er the Border’ which came from the Wiltshire Regiment, inherited from the 99th.

The new Colours were removed from the piled drums before the Colonel-in-Chief presented them to the Regiment. He made a speech which was answered by the Commanding Officer Lt Col G F. Woolnough, MC: 'These Colours replace those of the two regiments whose traditions and history we combine on amalgamation. The honours borne on these Colours will be a reminder to us of the duty and the service we inherit from these regiments. That duty and service to our sovereign and to our country we now carry forward in the name of your regiment whose title we are honoured and proud to bear'.

The new battalion marched past to the ‘Farmers Boy’, which became their nickname: ‘Farmers Boys’. The Regiment served with distinction until 1994 when they were merged with the Gloucestershire Regiment to form the RGBW.

08/06/2026

Join Willow and Crafts for a summer willow weaving workshop here at The Wardrobe on the 17th July!

More info in the post below:

Hi everyone, I will be back at the stunning gardens of the Wardrobe The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum, Salisbury, with my next willow weaving workshop in July. This time will be making large dragonflies or butterflies, which can be displayed indoors or outside in the garden.
Salisbury Information Centre

08/06/2026

📢 Museum Closure Notice – Monday 8th June

The museum will be closed today (Monday 8th June) while we pack down and tidy up following Saturday's Folk at The Wardrobe event.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for what was a fantastic day of music, community, and celebration. Despite the rain, spirits remained high and the event was a great success!

06/06/2026

And we’re off- have officially kicked off Folk at The Wardrobe 2026!