Saighton Camp
Saighton
The stone in the foreground is a War Office boundary stone for Saighton Camp
Saighton Camp Location within Cheshire
Coordinates	53°10′19″N 2°51′32″W / 53.172°N 2.859°W / 53.172; -2.859
Type	Barracks
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	British Army
Site history
Built	1938-1939
Built for	War Office
In use	1939-1999

Saighton Camp was a military installation located between Saighton and Huntington covering an area of approximately 33 hectares.

History

The camp was created between 1938 and 1939 for use as a military training camp during the Second World War. It was established as a basic training facility for light anti-aircraft batteries and subsequently became the primary training centre for the 233 Light Anti-Aircraft Training Regiment of the Royal Artillery. In 1949, it became Training Centre No. 12 of the Royal Pioneer Corps, and in the 1950s and early 1960s it became a training centre for the Royal Corps of Signals.^[1] The King's Own Royal Border Regiment were based at the site from 1973 to 1974,^[2] the Green Howards were based there from 1974 to 1976,^[3] the Queen's Lancashire Regiment were based there from 1976 to 1978^[4] and the Gordon Highlanders were based there from 1978 to 1980.^[5] The King's Regiment were billeted at the camp until its closure in 1985, when the regiment moved to the Dale Camp, Chester's last remaining military barracks.^[6]

In the early 1980s Saighton became a training centre for the Royal Army Medical Corps. It remained open after the barracks closed but its use diminished until it was closed completely in 1999.^[7]

In 2015, the site was cleared of its remaining military infrastructure. It is now a residential housing estate.^[8]

References