Catterick Garrison

The siting of the garrison was first recommended by Robert Baden-Powell who founded the Scouting movement in 1908 whilst he, as Inspector-General of Cavalry, was based at the army barracks—at that time located in Richmond Castle.[4] On 12 August 1914, the order was issued for the construction of the camp, following the outbreak of the First World War. The original intention was for Catterick to be a temporary camp to accommodate two complete divisions with around 40,000 men in 2,000 huts.[5]

The base was originally named Richmond Camp but was changed to Catterick Camp in 1915, and later modified to Catterick Garrison in 1973. After serving as a prisoner of war camp at the end of the war, the idea to make Catterick a permanent military barracks was first suggested after the partitioning of Ireland in 1921. The required land was purchased and building plans were put forward in 1923. Construction was undertaken by John Laing & Son,[6] and by the mid-1930s most of the camp's facilities were complete. During the Second World War the camp was once again used to house prisoners of war.[7]

In 2018, to celebrate the centenary of the Armistice and the end of the First World War, four stone monuments, including a steam locomotive and a likeness of Lord Baden Powell, were erected on the town's central roundabout.[8]

Between 1974 and 2023 it was in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, within the Central Richmondshire electoral division of North Yorkshire County Council and divided between the Hipswell and Scotton wards of Richmondshire District Council.[9]

The town is divided between two civil parishes, the southern part of the town, south of a small stream known as Leadmill Gill, is in the civil parish of Scotton, the northern part forms the greater part of the civil parish of Hipswell. Each parish has its own parish council.[10]

Catterick Garrison is also within the Richmond (Yorks) parliamentary constituency, which has been represented since 2015 by Conservative Rishi Sunak.[11]

Catterick Garrison is located on the A6136 road, connecting Richmond with the A1(M) at Catterick Village, 4.7 miles (7.6 km) to the east. Nearby are the suburban settlements of Scotton 1.6 miles (2.6 km) south and Hipswell 0.7 miles (1.1 km) to the east, as well as Colburn, 1.9 miles (3.1 km) to the east.[12]

Foxglove Covert, a local nature reserve, was the first of its kind in North Yorkshire and the first to be located on Ministry of Defence (MoD) land in the UK. It covers 100 acres of moorland edge, and was opened in 1992. In 2001 it was declared a Site of Local Nature Conservation Importance (SLNCI).[13]

Lacking a true town centre, the garrison gained its first large supermarket, a Tesco store, in 2000; along with a retail park known as Richmondshire Walk, which also includes a McDonald's, a Poundstretcher and a Peacocks, among others.[14] In 2013 a £25 million development scheme for a new town centre was unveiled, to be built on a former sports ground, owned by the MoD. The plan included space for retail outlets, a cinema, a 60-bedroom hotel and several dining establishments and bars; creating up to 700 jobs.[15] In 2015, the plans came to fruition when Princes Gate retail complex opened adjacent to Richmondshire Walk, with tenants including a Premier Inn, an Empire cinema, Poundland, Next, and Hungry Horse.[16]

There is no longer a railway station at the garrison. Catterick Camp railway station was a terminus station on the Eryholme-Richmond branch line until its closure in 1964; the closest mainline railway stations are now at Northallerton and Darlington; they are equidistant, at 15.9 miles (25.6 km) south-east and north-east respectively. Regular bus services to Richmond and Darlington are operated by Arriva North East; the closest airport is Teesside International Airport, 21.3 miles (34.3 km) north-east.[17]

Primary education is provided by Carnagill Community Primary School, built in 1966,[18] Wavell School,[19] Le Cateau Community Primary School[20] and Cambrai Primary School, a free school opened in 2019 on the complex formerly housing a campus of Darlington College.[21] Pupils then receive secondary education at Risedale School.[22] Alternatively, children may also attend school at Richmond School and Sixth Form College.[23]

The town has three existing churches, St. Joan of Arc is a Roman Catholic memorial church built in 1930 and situated within the Diocese of Middlesbrough, but owing to its position is governed by the Bishopric of the Forces.[24] on the same road is St. Aidan's Garrison Church,[25] and The Garrison Memorial Church of St. Martin and St. Oswald.[26]

One Mk V 12-inch railway howitzer (foreground) and two Mk III 12-inch railway howitzers at Catterick.

The town's primary healthcare provider is the Harewood Medical general practice managed by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.[36] The Duchess of Kent Hospital was a military hospital opened on 6 October 1976 and closed its major surgery and hospital wings in 1999, it was still used as a medical facility until 2015, when services were relocated to RAF Leeming.[37][38]

The local ambulances are run by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, the town is also in the catchment area of the Great North Air Ambulance, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue provide firefighting services and both North Yorkshire Police and the Royal Military Police have stations located on a shared complex.[39]

The parade ground at Helles Barracks

The garrison consists of many different groups of buildings spread over a wide area and includes a number of barracks, most of which are named after historical British Army battles, many of which took place in Northern France during the First World War. The current units based within Catterick Garrison include:

• Commander and Staff Trainer (North)[40]
• Alma Lines
  • 1st Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment[41][42][43][44]
• Cambrai Lines
  • Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeth's Own)[42][45][46]
• Meggido Lines
  • 1st Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers[45]
• Piave Lines
  • 521 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Squadron
  • British Army Bands Catterick, Royal Corps of Army Music[47][48]
    • Band of the Royal Armoured Corps
    • Band of the King's Division
    • Band of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
• Bourlon Barracks
  • The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland[45][49][50]
  • 1st Military Intelligence Battalion, Intelligence Corps[45]
  • Peronne Lines
    • Headquarters, 4th Infantry Brigade
    • Headquarters North East
    • Headquarters, Catterick Garrison[51][52]
• Gaza Barracks
  • The Light Dragoons[45]
  • 5th Armoured Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps[45]
  • 1st Regiment, Royal Military Police[45]
• Helles Barracks
  • Infantry Training Centre[53]
• Marne Barracks
  • 5th Regiment, Royal Artillery[45]
  • 32nd Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers[45][54]
• Somme Barracks
  • 1st Battalion, Scots Guards
• Vimy Barracks
  • 3 Army Education Centre Group, Adjutant General's Corps[55][56]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Catterick Garrison.

• Official Community Website – Catterick Garrison Online