Kendrew Barracks

Kendrew Barracks
Andrew Tatlow · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Kendrew Barracks
Location	Cottesmore, Rutland, England
Type	Army barracks
Built	1938
Used	1938–present
Occupants	2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment (former), 1 Regiment Army Air Corps (current)

Kendrew Barracks

Kendrew Barracks is a British Army installation in Cottesmore, Rutland, established on a site associated with Royal Air Force Cottesmore and later converted for Army use. The barracks has hosted units from the Royal Anglian Regiment, Army Air Corps, Royal Logistic Corps, and elements of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment and Light Infantry. It sits within a region linked historically to RAF Northolt, RAF Wittering, RAF Scampton, and 20th-century air operations including the Battle of Britain era and later Cold War logistics.

History

The site opened as RAF Cottesmore in 1938, constructed during rearmament linked to the Munich Agreement era and early preparations for the Second World War. During the Second World War the airfield hosted bomber and fighter units associated with Royal Air Force Bomber Command, No. 14 Group RAF, and squadrons that took part in operations tied to the Normandy landings and the Strategic bombing campaign. Postwar, the base supported NATO deployments during the Cold War and operations that connected with units involved in the Korean War logistics chain and later Falklands War support elements. The transition from airfield to Army barracks followed reductions in RAF holdings and broader defence estate rationalisation tied to decisions by successive Ministry of Defence administrations and reviews such as the Options for Change and Strategic Defence Review. Renamed after Major General Sir Douglas Kendrew—a figure associated with Royal Marines ties and gubernatorial service—the barracks became a focal point for the East of England military footprint, inheriting hangars and technical sites repurposed for Army aviation and support.

Location and Layout

Located in the county of Rutland near the village of Cottesmore, Rutland, the barracks occupies former runway and accommodation areas connected by access roads to the A1 road corridor and within commuting distance of Leicester, Peterborough, and Oakham. The layout retains former airfield geometries: perimeter tracks, hardened aircraft shelters, and refurbished technical sites now housing units formerly from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and Royal Corps of Signals. Adjoining training areas link to regional ranges used by units from HMNB Portsmouth and exercise zones associated with multinational events like Exercise Joint Warrior and NATO cooperative activities. Heritage buildings on site reflect interwar and wartime architecture comparable to structures at RAF Scampton and RAF Marham.

Units and Operations

Kendrew Barracks has hosted a succession of units: elements of the Royal Anglian Regiment including battalion headquarters, squadrons from the Army Air Corps such as aviation regiments equipped during periods with aircraft models related to the Westland Lynx and Apache AH1, and support detachments from the Royal Logistic Corps and Adjutant General's Corps. Operations staged from the site have ranged from home defence training tied to the UK Reserves and Territorial commitments to deployments in support of campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and peacekeeping work under United Nations and NATO mandates. The barracks has been a hub for pre-deployment preparation, collective training linked to Field Army exercises, and rotary-wing maintenance activity coordinated with contractors and organisations like Marshall Aerospace and multinational partners.

Facilities and Services

Facilities include refurbished accommodation blocks, training halls adapted from hangars, vehicle parks, and aviation maintenance ateliers comparable to setups at MOD St Athan. Onsite services have served soldiers, families, and civilian staff with welfare centres, medical nodes liaising with NHS England providers, and education services linked to Service Children's Education. Sporting and recreational facilities support teams participating in competitions overseen by the Army Sport Control Board and regional clubs affiliated with organisations such as the Royal British Legion. Logistics infrastructure supports transport fleets, workshops for Army Medical Services support, and storage depots built to standards paralleling other defence estate sites like Woodbridge Barracks.

Notable Events and Incidents

Notable moments connected to the site include its wartime operational role during the Second World War and hosting units rotating for Operation Herrick and Operation Telic deployments. The site has been involved in public ceremonies with dignitaries from Ministry of Defence and visits by figures associated with the Royal Family and defence leadership; analogous high-profile inspections have occurred at locations such as Woolwich Barracks and Aldershot Garrison. Local incidents have included airfield-related safety investigations during the RAF period and community consultations regarding defence estate consolidation, echoing debates seen in cases like the closure of RAF Drake's Island and restructuring at Bovingdon Aerodrome.

Future Developments

Future plans for the barracks have been influenced by ongoing defence estate reviews, integrated delivery programmes, and force restructuring associated with the Future Soldier programme and wider Defence and Security Industrial Strategy considerations. Potential developments cited in planning contexts include further adaptation of aviation facilities to support modern rotary-wing fleets, improved family and welfare accommodation following standards observed at other bases such as Catterick Garrison, and enhanced training ranges interoperable with NATO partners. Community and regional stakeholders including Rutland County Council and local MPs have participated in consultations mirroring processes used in other base realignments across England.

Category:British Army barracks Category:Rutland