The Guards Museum: Everyday Heroes
Guards Museum, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, London, Greater London, SW1E 6HQ
Discover how the Crimean War transformed public perception towards Britain’s ‘Everyday Heroes’ – nurses and soldiers. Through poetry, newspapers, and the birth of the rank-less Victoria Cross, we explore how the spotlight shifted from commanders to ordinary, frontline soldiers and sparked powerful public outcries for veteran care. Alongside these men, we consider the nurses who cared for them, and how this wartime period was pivotal in their shifting role and status in military medicine.
In this collaboration with Findmypast, we follow the remarkable true story of nurse Frances Kempthorn and soldier William Stanlake VC. This couple met in the wartime hospitals, married, and yet spent much of their post-war lives straining against poverty.
We are a museum of shared history and storytelling, enabling a diverse audience to discover the multi-faceted nature of the Guards' story: combat, peacekeeping, guarding the Monarch and royal palaces, ceremonial duty, and music.
Pre-booked and walk-ins welcome!
This event was created in collaboration with leading family history website Findmypast, sponsors of ‘Everyday Histories’, the festival theme.
Discover your ancestors' stories at findmypast.co.uk
Timings
- Sunday 20 September:
- 10:00am - 4:00pm
Location & directions
Guards Museum, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, London, Greater London, SW1E 6HQ
- Directions:
- The nearest underground station is St James’s Park (District & Circle lines), approximately a 5-minute walk away. Exit the station via the main entrance and cross the road to continue straight down Queen Anne's Gate. After crossing through the gates, turn left onto Birdcage Walk. The museum is located on the left, through Chapel Square, then down the stairs. Westminster underground station (District, Circle, and Jubilee lines) and Victoria underground station (District, Circle, Piccadilly and Victoria lines) are both a 12-minute walk.
- Contact on day:
- Olivia Collins
- Telephone number:
- +442074143430
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
The museum has no toilet facilities on-site. The nearest public toilets are in St James’s Park. They are about a 10-minute walk away. The Museum is located underground and is accessed via a set of stairs.
