Stonehenge and Salisbury Plain Military History Tour

Tour itinerary

Stonehenge and Wiltshire have strong military connections, particularly as Salisbury Plain, a major training ground for the Army is located in the county. Visit some of the most important WW1 and WW2 sights and museums in Wiltshire on this bespoke guided tour with a military expert. Full day and overnight tour option.

Stonehenge and Salisbury Plain
Stonehenge stood at the heart of the world's largest military training camp during the First World War. One million men trained for war there between 1914 and 1918, coming from across the Commonwealth.

The MoD has been using the land for training for more than a century, its historic legacy can still be seen today, but it’s also home to the largest area of chalk land in North West Europe, and holds a number sites of great archaeological significance. The War Office first purchased land on Salisbury Plain in 1897. The main acquisition programme was finished in 1920, and the major garrisons were constructed over the next 30 years. The village of Imber was requisitioned by the War Office in 1943. Approximately 12,150 ha is used for live firing and as impact areas This tour covers how aviation developed on Lark Hill from 1909-1914 and how military aviation 'took off' around Stonehenge from 1914-1918.

DID YOU KNOW? Spielbergs epic film '1917' was made entirely in the UK using Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.

The Army Flying Museum
The Museum holds an extensive collection charting over 100 years of the British Army in the air. With over 35 fixed wing and rotary aircraft on display, the Museum is the perfect place to explore the fascinating history of army aviation.

The Rifles Berkshire & Wiltshire Museum within Salisbury’s Cathedral Close.
his museum showcases the service of men of Berkshire and Wiltshire from 1743 to the present day. Various temporary exhibitions take place here too and there is a charming riverside garden you can explore after checking out all of the exhibitions on display.

Boscombe Down Aviation Collection
Here, you can come face-to-face with aviation restoration, climb aboard several aircraft and learn more about the connections the local area has with flight. The collection is held within a military hangar at Old Sarum Airfield, having relocated from Boscombe Down Airfield a few years ago. Guides are on-hand to help tell you about various aircraft here and if you have children with you, they will love the opportunity to be able to touch the majority of the planes and other aircraft found here.

The Fovant Military Badges
Military Memories of World Wars 1 and 2. Soldiers carved these regimental badges into the chalk hills in remembrance of those who died in World War I. The Regimental Badges that have been carved into the downs. It was during World War I (1914/1918) that there was a need to establish training camps for troops engaged in the battlefields of France.

Church of St. George at the village of Fovant
The church of St. George in the village of Fovant has rows of war graves of British and Australian soldiers and it was to the memory of those who had died that the Regimental Badges were carved by their comrades. Many of the original carvings failed to survive the elements and at the end of world war I there were 20 identifiable badges.

Tank Museum.
Visit the world’s best collection of tanks. Guaranteed to stop you in your tracks and tonnes of fun for all the family, the world-class Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset is home to almost 300 vehicles. You can even see the world’s first ever tank – the Tiger Tank. Be in awe of the heavy artillery as you explore six powerful exhibitions spanning 100 years from the ‘Trench Experience’ to ‘Battlegroup Afghanistan’. Seasonal live Tank Action displays take place in the outdoor arena where visitors can even find out for themselves how it feels to ride in a tracked vehicle.

Our private guided military tours can depart from London, Bath, Southampton, Salisbury and can be customised to suit you.