Salisbury Plain

Salisbury Plain is the UK’s largest military training area, measuring approximately 25 miles across and ten miles from top to toe. The area includes four towns best described as military garrisons, of which Bulford, Larkhill and Warminster exist alongside civilian settlements sharing the same name, while Tidworth has replaced two rural villages that straddled the Wiltshire-Hampshire border before the arrival of the Army. In addition the Plain is surrounded by settlements with further strong military connections, including the city of Salisbury itself.

This new history of the Plain examines how the military has used and developed the area since the land was first purchased towards the end of the 19th century. At some point in their career, the vast majority of British service personnel will spend time on Salisbury Plain. Its training grounds and military schools prepare soldiers and airmen to serve in an ever-changing and increasingly volatile world. The British armed forces are respected the world over for their training, discipline and professionalism, and Salisbury Plain is more often than not where it all begins.