Marlborough Lines is a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

installation on the former site of

RAF Andover RAF Andover is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station in England, west of Andover, Hampshire. As well as RFC and RAF units, units of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, Royal Ca ...

in Hampshire, England. The site is the location of Army Headquarters, the most senior headquarters in the British Army, led by the

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Afghanistan) * Chief of the General Staff (Albania) * C ...

, as well as Headquarters,

Field Army Troops Field Army Troops is a formation of the British Army under direct control of Field Army (United Kingdom), Headquarters, Field Army. Its purpose is to "centrally command high-demand, low-volume capabilities." 2019 reorganisation In 2019, under ...

, Headquarters,

Joint Aviation Command The Joint Aviation Command (JAC), previously known as Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of all three services of the British Armed Forces and unmanned aerial vehicles of the B ...

, and Headquarters,

1st Military Police Brigade The 1st Military Police Brigade (1 MP Bde) is a policing formation of the British Army, which is the only one-star command of the Royal Military Police. The brigade was formed in 2014 and is commanded by a brigadier. History Army 2020 Pri ...

, led by the Provost Marshal (Army).

History

Marlborough Lines was built on the former airfield of

, on the western outskirts of the town of

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andov ...

, which had been established in 1917 and closed in 2009. The site was renamed Marlborough Lines in honour of John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, who has been described as Britain’s greatest-ever general. The main buildings constructed at Marlborough Lines were named as Blenheim (named after the

Battle of Blenheim The Battle of Blenheim (; ; ) fought on , was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. The overwhelming Allied victory ensured the safety of Vienna from the Franco-Bavarian army, thus preventing the collapse of the reconstituted G ...

in 1704), Sedgemoor (named after the

Battle of Sedgemoor The Battle of Sedgemoor was the last and decisive engagement between forces loyal to James II and rebels led by the Duke of Monmouth during the Monmouth rebellion, fought on 6 July 1685, and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in S ...

in 1685) and Ramillies (named after the

Battle of Ramillies The Battle of Ramillies (), fought on 23 May 1706, was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. For the Grand AllianceAustria, England, and the Dutch Republicthe battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of K ...

in 1706). The garden outside Blenheim is called the Churchill Garden. In 2011, Army Headquarters was established at Marlborough Lines. On 1 December 2014, Headquarters, 1st Military Police Brigade was established, commanded by the Provost Marshal (Army), at Marlborough Lines. The Army Families Federation's central office is also based at Ramillies Building.

References

{{Reflist Installations of the British Army Andover, Hampshire Military in Hampshire