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ROYAL SIGNALS MUSEUM
Dorset's interactive museum of military communications, telling the story of the Royal Corps of Signals.
OPENING TIMES
Monday to Friday:
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Saturdays:
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Last entry at 3:30 pm
Open Bank Holidays, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Years Day
Closed on Sundays
Tel: 01258 482 248
Email: visit@royalsignalsmuseum.co.uk
Address: Royal Signals Museum, Blandford Camp, Dorset, DT11 8BJ
A valid photo ID (such as a passport, driving licence, MoD90, PASS card, National identity card issued by an EEA state, Post Office pass, Freedom Pass or bus pass) is required by adults 16+ for admission onto Camp. Please telephone the Museum ahead of your visit if you are not sure you can provide the necessary photo ID.
DRIVING NOTICE: Occasionally, when driving through Camp, you will encounter marching soldiers. Please give way to marching soldiers when they are crossing the road, and do not overtake them.
TICKET PRICES
Adult: £10.00
Senior Citizen/Concession: £8.00
Child (aged 5 - 16): £7.00
Child under 5: Free
Family Ticket (2 Adults + 2 Children): £28.00
Groups (10+): 10% Discount
Colleges & Schools: £5.00 per person
Youth Groups & Cadets: £5.00 per person
Guided Tours: £30.00 plus admission (max 15 per guide)
Admission is free to serving members of the Corps, civil servants working on Blandford Camp and families who live on Blandford Camp. Just show your ID.
Planning a group visit?
If you would like to organise a group visit please email visit@royalsignalsmuseum.co.uk for more information on discounts and offers. Tours and catering can be provided by arrangement.
What about dogs?
Unfortunately, no dogs are permitted inside the Museum except guide and assistance dogs.
INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS & EXHIBITIONS
The Museum traces the fast-paced and complex history of the Royal Corps of Signals, from its origins in the Royal Engineers to the present age of sophisticated digital warfare. Visitors can drive an armoured vehicle across a virtual landscape and set up a satellite network, as well as practice Morse code and test their marksman skills on a digital range.
Permanent displays include: command and communication vehicles, despatch riders, Women at War, Animals at War, the hidden story of the SOE, Royal Signals and the Cold War. Meanwhile, a rolling programme of interactive temporary exhibitions which explore the operational experience of the Corps and are often narrated by the soldiers who were on the ground.
Ever wondered how agents of the Special Operations Executive were trained during the Second World War? Why were pigeons so important to the British Army? What was it like laying cables under fire on the front? All these answers can be found at the Royal Signals Museum.
VOLUNTEER AT THE MUSEUM
Volunteers are absolutely key to the work of the Royal Signals Museum. We're currently recruiting for the following roles:
- Archivists and Librarians
- Conservators and Collections Care
- Story Gatherer and Story Editors
- Weekend Shop Cover
There is no need to have any specialist knowledge of the history of the Royal Corps of Signals.
ROYAL SIGNALS: A VERY BRIEF HISTORY
The ability for military commanders to send and receive information at speed, whilst preventing the enemy from doing the same, has always been the key to success on operations. Since 1920, this has been the role of the Royal Corps of Signals - illustrated by their motto: Certo Cito/Swift and Sure.
From trench cables to the dark web, from mobile pigeon lofts to satellites, the Corps’ history has always been characterised by leaps in technology and the overriding need to maintain the ‘vital link’. But it is the Signallers who give the Corps its crucial advantage, applying old and cutting edge technology, driven by a constant desire to innovate and get the battle winning messages through, irrespective of the demanding environment in which they have to operate.
Click below to explore the history of the Royal Corps of Signals, via our free mobile guide.
FREE: EXPLORE CORPS HISTORY
Drawing from the Royal Signals Museum oral history collection, our free guide on the Bloomberg Connects app allows soldiers to recount their experiences in their own words.
It also provides an opportunity to examine objects from our collection, highlighting the challenges faced by the Corps in an era of sophisticated digital warfare.
RESEARCHING FAMILY HISTORY
You can research the experiences of an individual by looking at:
- Service records (see below) – administrative files may record dates and places of enlistment and demobilisation, postings and units, injuries or disciplinary action.
- Casualty information – sources recording those wounded or taken prisoner of war as well as the burial and commemoration of those who died.
- Medal records – medal entitlements can indicate involvement in specific campaigns as well as awards for service or gallantry.
- Unit and operational histories (see below) – resources describing the day to day operational activities of units.
The Museum does not hold service records for current or past members of the Corps. The UK Government website provides instructions on requesting records on their guidance page: Get a Copy of Military Service Records.
Unit and operational histories are located at the National Archives. Click here to search their catalogue.
Read our research guide by clicking the link below.
ACCREDITED MUSEUM CHARITY
The Royal Signals Museum exists to preserve and display the history and heritage of the Royal Corps of Signals. We provide a range of educational resources to schools, researchers and visitors. We also look to the future, highlighting how the work of the Corps remains at the forefront of technology.
Accredited by Arts Council England, the Museum is a registered charity (1133304). Click to access our Privacy Policy.
