Take a journey back through six millennia of MOD Worthy Down’s history and archaeology in the latest feature exhibition to arrive at the Royal Logistic Corps Museum.
The military history of Worthy Down began during the First World War, in 1917, when Lt Col John Chamier visited the site of the former Winchester Racecourse, to evaluate its potential as a training airfield for the Royal Flying Corps. Upon his recommendation the land was immediately purchased by the War Office, beginning a nearly 110-year history that has seen the base pass through the hands of all three of the Armed Services before becoming the tri-service Logistical and Administrative training centre for the UK Armed Forces.
But thousands of years before the first soldier set foot on Worthy Down, prehistoric people of the late Stone Age were building Long Barrows, large earthen monuments to honour the dead, and crafting tools out of stones. Subsequent generations all left their mark upon the chalk downland, clearing forests for farming and building communities.
“The history of Worthy Down, both militarily and archaeologically, is absolutely fascinating and encompasses so many key moments from British history,” says RLC Museum Curator Alex Crisp, who curated the exhibition. “From the Stone Age to the Romans, through to the Age of Flight and beyond, untold thousands have called Worthy Down home, be they slaves shipped from Roman North Africa, military personnel, and even celebrities such as Laurence Olivier, this exhibition will aim to tell just some of their stories.”
“I hope that this exhibition will be of interest to both the local community, and those serving at Worthy Down, along with their families, all of whom are adding to what is only the latest chapter of a very long and storied past.”
Featuring archaeological artefacts on loan from Hampshire Cultural Trust and objects and archives loaned by the Adjutant General’s Corps Museum, the exhibition runs from 14th September 2026 until late August 2027 and is free to visit along with the rest of the RLC Museum.
Cover image – credit Tony Dowland/Richard Hall
