Wellington Barracks

Wellington Barracks stands in the City of Westminster, a short walk from Buckingham Palace. It houses five Foot Guards companies along with their bands and headquarters. The site lies between Birdcage Walk and Petty France, close enough for the Guards to reach the palace quickly if needed. The barracks were designed by Sir Francis Smith and Philip Hardwick and opened in 1833. Its Guards’ Chapel was rebuilt in the 1960s after wartime damage. In 2007 Prince William and Prince Harry held a memorial service there for their mother. The Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots and Irish Guards each keep companies at the barracks today. The building, gates and railings are Grade II listed. Inside the barracks are a junior ranks’ bar with games, a Costcutter shop and a self-serve restaurant. There is a gym with squash courts and messes for officers and sergeants. The Guards Museum displays uniforms and artefacts spanning three centuries. Nearby the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden honours the Foot Guards’ fallen.