Government House, Aldershot

Government House circa 1890

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.[1] A military horse cemetery was created in the grounds of the house in the late 1880s.[2] After a serious fire in 1903, the 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.[1] The building was again extensively refurbished in 2012[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]

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England. "Government House Mess, Farnborough Road (1272436)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Warhorse". Army Golf Club. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Government House". Rydon. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Group photograph including the Prince and Princess of Wales, taken at Aldershot, May 1904". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  5. ↑ Rowlands, p. 56
  6. ↑ "The Aldershot Command Searchlight Tattoos". Aldershot Military Museum. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Aspirations" (PDF). Aspire Defence. Spring 2013. p. 9. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "MoD to reveal base plans for soldiers returning from Germany". Get Hampshire. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2015.

Sources

Coordinates: 51°16′21″N 0°45′33″W / 51.2724°N 0.7593°W / 51.2724; -0.7593

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