Warwick Court House & the Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum

This classical building designed and built in 1725 by Francis Smith, contains a fine Georgian Ballroom. 

It was constructed on a site given by Robert Dudley, in exchange for the buildings now forming the Lord Leycester Hospital. 

The building is now the home of Warwick Town Council, the Tourist Information Centre and the Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum.

Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum

We are a Regimental Museum completely supported by Volunteers and our aim is to safeguard the heritage and collective memory of those who have served with the Warwickshire Yeomanry so that both present and future generations may learn the importance of the past through its history.

The Regiment was founded in 1794 in order to fight off Napoleon, served in the Boer war, accompanied Queen Victoria's coffin as part of her funeral cortege.

During the First World War the Regiment served with distinction at Gallipoli and took part in General Allenby’s campaign in Palestine. Both the Warwickshire Yeomanry and Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars are immortalised in Lady Butler’s painting of the last classic unsupported cavalry charge of the Great War known as the The Affair of Huj, (the painting can be viewed in the Museum).  Moving to France during the closing months of the War in 1918 where they fought with distinction as a Machine Gun Battalion.

In January 1940 the Regiment was sent to the Middle East to become part of the 1st Cavalry Division. During March/April 1941 they gradually lost their horses converting to motorised infantry, in trucks. They served in Iraq, Syria and Persia. Moving back to Palestine in October 1941, converting to a Tank Regiment, which later fought with distinction at El Alamein in October/November 1942.

In April 1944 they moved to Italy pursuing the enemy with great determination and courage.  In November 1944 after nearly five years continuous service they finally arrived at Livermore Camp, near Bury St Edmunds as a Tank Training Regiment.

In November 1956 the Regiment learnt it was to merge with the Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars. There was to be no change in roles and the new Regiment  came into being initially as Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry in 1957. It later became The Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry, consequent upon her Majesty agreeing to become the Honorary Colonel of the Regiment. The only unit in the whole of the British Army to have this honour.