Discovery Museum to present 300 year story of England’s Northern Cavalry
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums has secured £422,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for Charge! The story of England’s Northern Cavalry exhibition and an associated programme of activities at Discovery Museum. Replacing the former A Soldier’s Life gallery, plans have been approved for this major new permanent exhibition which will open to the public in autumn 2017.
Charge! England’s Northern Cavalry will not only unite the collections of the antecedent regiments of the Light Dragoons so that the complete 300 year story can be told for the first time, but will also tell the continuing story of the Northumberland Hussars since becoming the Command & Support squadron of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry. Both regiments, which are formally affiliated to each other, are the only cavalry regiments today which exclusively recruit from the North of England.
The new exhibition will chart the pivotal moments in the history of these regiments and explore the vital roles played by those who served in them. Visitors will discover original historic accounts based on material from the collection as well as newly commissioned interviews with serving soldiers or recent veterans.
Using objects and artefacts from the regimental collections, the exhibition will showcase a selection of previously unseen military objects and historical artefacts, including a shako (helmet) worn at the Charge of the Light Brigade, emergency provisions from the Boer War, a French flag captured at Waterloo and a suitcase used for carrying maps at D-Day.
The gallery will make use of impactful audio visual displays and creative lighting to bring objects and stories to life. One dramatic exhibit featuring a film installation of mounted hussars will appear to thunder towards the visitor with swords raised in a cloud of smoke, as though on a 19th century battlefield. A family trail will challenge the skills of young soldiers as they venture through the gallery.
In addition to the gallery refurbishment, the grant will for the first time enable the development of a programme of activities specifically related to this gallery. This programme will engage and support the region’s extensive veteran community and their families, as well as develop activities and events for schools and community groups.
Carolyn Ball, Manager of Discovery Museum, said: “At Discovery Museum we champion Tyneside’s rich and varied heritage. We are thrilled to secure funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to present the important history of England’s Northern Cavalry, and connect our visitors to the work and challenges of those from our region who are serving in these Regiments today.”
Major General David Rutherford-Jones CB, Colonel of the Regiment, The Light Dragoons, said: "We Light Dragoons are proud of our history and success, and deeply proud of our roots in the north of England. Equally so, we are very grateful for the excellent partnership we have with Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and also the friendship and support of the team at Discovery Museum. This wonderful achievement of securing a substantial Heritage Lottery Fund grant is the result of creative thinking, and a lot of hard work by some truly special individuals. It will mean that The Light Dragoon story and its spirit, will be protected in perpetuity. We are so grateful.”
Ivor Crowther, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North East, said: “From the capture of Napoleon’s carriage at the Battle of Waterloo to the D-Day landings, the Northern Cavalry has played a role in some key moments in history. Thanks to National Lottery players we’re delighted to support this project, which will ensure that incredible story can be shared and some fascinating unseen collections revealed.”
A Soldier’s Life first opened at Discovery Museum in 1995 when the Light Dragoons was a newly formed regiment in the British Army. Charge! The story of England’s Northern Cavalry will open in autumn 2017 when the Regiment celebrates its 25th anniversary.
