Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and Queen's Regiment Museum
Regimental museum in the Keep Yard of Dover Castle on the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, its predecessors and soldiers from the south-east of England.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum tells the stories of the soldiers of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and the regiments that came before it, among them the Buffs, the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment, the Middlesex Regiment, the Royal Sussex Regiment and the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. The regimental history reaches back to 1572 and follows the army from its beginnings in 1661 up to the present.
The collection of about 8,000 objects includes firearms, uniforms, artworks and soldiers' personal belongings. Only a small part is on show in the museum at any time; the rest is in the museum store. Featured objects include the story of Peter the Sheep, Princess Mary's Christmas gift and an army temperance medal.
The museum is housed in the keep yard at Dover Castle and has a one-way route on the ground floor with several rooms. Displays use sound effects, for example sea noises in a ship scene and a recording of gunfire outside the Second World War room. The museum offers learning projects for schools in Kent on topics such as the First World War, the Second World War, remembrance and Walter Tull, and it has a service that helps visitors trace ancestors who served in the regiment.
Highlights
- Stories of soldiers from 1572 to the present day
- About 8,000 objects including uniforms, firearms and personal belongings
- Ship scene and First and Second World War rooms
- Located inside the keep yard of Dover Castle
- Free group education visits
Permanent exhibitions
- Regimental history galleries – Uniforms, weapons, artworks and personal objects tell the history of the regiment and its predecessors from the founding of the British Army in 1661 to today.
- Ship scene and the world war rooms – A one-way route on the ground floor leads through a ship scene with sea sounds and rooms on the First and Second World Wars.
- Founded
- 1987
- Operated by
- Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and Queen's Regiment Museum
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £24.65 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £22.35Concession rate (off-peak advance price); eligibility is not listed on the price page |
| Children & teens | £12.32Child ticket, off-peak advance price. Up to six children under 18 enter free with an adult English Heritage member. |
| Groups | –Group education visits to the museum are free of charge and must be booked by email with the date and group size. |
| Families | £61.79Family ticket, off-peak advance price; a one-adult family ticket costs £37.06. |
Visitors must buy a ticket for Dover Castle to visit the museum; there is no separate museum ticket. The prices shown are the castle prices: the lowest are for off-peak days booked online in advance (adult £24.65), standard and peak days and gate prices cost more. Members of the regimental association pay a concessionary rate at the castle. Friends of the museum get unlimited visits to the castle and the museum, and English Heritage members enter free. Prices exclude the optional 10% Gift Aid donation.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is step-free but narrow in places, with steep ramps and a one-way route; all doorways are 762 mm wide, which may be difficult for larger wheelchairs and mobility scooters. There are seats around the museum. The approach from the accessible parking at Palace Green has a steep slope, an uneven drawbridge and uneven paving, and the entrance ramp is steep with a heavy door. Dover Castle lends a small number of mobility scooters, which should be booked with English Heritage. Toilets, including an accessible toilet and a baby changing room, are to the right of the museum exit and are run by English Heritage; a Changing Places toilet is in the NAAFI café. Guide dogs and other assistance animals are welcome. Staff can switch off sound effects on request. Staff have had disability awareness training.
Kids & families
| Family ticket | £61.79 · Family ticket, off-peak advance price; a one-adult family ticket costs £37.06. |
|---|
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
The museum is step-free for baby buggies. A baby changing facility is next to the museum exit. Loud sound effects, including gunfire, are played in two places.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Dover Castle bus stop · 160 m
Stagecoach in East Kent buses 81 and 93 stop at the Dover Castle bus stop, a walk of about 160 metres downhill to the pedestrian entrance. The nearest railway station is Dover Priory, about a mile's walk from the castle.
By car
Free parking · 100 m to the entrance
Parking is free at the castle and its external car parks, which open with the castle. Accessible parking is at Palace Green car park, about 100 metres from the museum; it has no marked bays.
- Accessible parking
Dover Castle is signposted from the A20 and A2; the satnav postcode is CT16 1HU. The museum is in the keep yard, opposite the shop and café and next to Arthur's Hall. National Cycle Network Route 1 passes the castle.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
The museum has no café or shop of its own; the castle shop and café are on the opposite side of the keep yard. Toilets are provided by English Heritage. No visitor wifi is mentioned.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Learning projects for schools and other groups in Kent cover the First World War, the Second World War, remembrance and Walter Tull. Group education visits are free of charge and booked by email. |
