Military Connections

There are many important military connections in South East England – from land, sea and air, the region has been the backdrop to some of the most important battles and developments in British military history.

From historic ships and fascinating museums to ruined castles and ancient battlefields, South East England is home to a great range of attractions and destinations with intriguing military connections - here are just a few you might want to consider visiting on your next day out.

See the site where Admiral Lord Nelson died during the Battle of Trafalgar, onboard the historic ship HMS Victory, located at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in Hampshire.

Get a feel for Britain’s rich naval history at the Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent, where ships were built for the Royal Navy for over three hundred years.

Head to Bucklers Hard in Hampshire to see where many of the ships of Admiral Lord Nelson’s fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar were built.

Take a trip to Battle Abbey in East Sussex and see the place where the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, King Harold II, was slain during the 1066 Battle of Hastings.

Visit Donnington Castle in Berkshire, besieged for eighteen months during the English Civil War, the castle was the site of part of the 1644 Battle of Newbury.

One of the region’s greatest connections with the English Civil War is Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, where King Charles I was imprisoned prior to his execution.

Find out about the 1940 Battle of Britain at the RAF Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Trust in Kent and see a pristine example of that legendary fighter aircraft, the Spitfire.

Learn about British aviation history and the brave secret agents who set off for missions into occupied France during WWII at Tangmere Aviation Museum in West Sussex.

Discover the story behind the development of one of the most famous fighter aircraft in history, the Spitfire, at the Solent Sky Aviation Museum in Hampshire.