Charge! The Story of England's Northern Cavalry

Charge! The Story of England's Northern Cavalry unites the collections of the antecedent regiments of The Light Dragoons and also tells the continuing story of the Northumberland Hussars since becoming the Command & Support squadron of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry. Both regiments, which are formally affiliated to each other, are the only cavalry divisions today which exclusively recruit from the North of England.

The exhibition charts the pivotal moments in the colourful history of these regiments, from the capture of Napoleon’s carriage at the Battle of Waterloo (1815) to more recent reconnaissance missions in Bosnia (1993), Iraq (2004) and Afghanistan (2009), and honours the vital roles played by those born and bred in the north of England.

Experience the journey many soldiers would have taken, from recruitment and training to front-line duties, and discover original historic accounts based on material from the collection. Using objects and artefacts from the regimental collections, the displays will showcase a selection of military objects and historical artefacts, including a flag captured from the Battle of Waterloo (1815), a shako (helmet) worn at the Charge of the Light Brigade (1854) and a suitcase used for carrying maps at the D-Day landings (1944). 

Discovery Museum’s ever popular full size war-horse sculpture will be displayed in full ceremonial uniform and other highlights include a film installation of mounted hussars thundering towards you with swords raised in a cloud of smoke, as though on a 19th century battlefield and a digital Drill Sergeant barking orders at any willing new recruits.

Click here to access the virtual tour.

Dive right in and explore Charge! The Story of England's Northern Cavalry gallery from the comfort of your own device in this new online 3D Virtual Tour. This online tour delves deeper into the stories of the gallery and features films from serving soldiers, military experts and curators allowing you to navigate the gallery from any location in the world on your own device. 

The online tour can be enjoyed remotely, but also enhances the in-person gallery experience too.

At the end of the tour just before you leave the gallery space, a red hotspot provides a link to a short survey. Your views are important to us so please tell us what you think. Alternatively, you can find the feedback form by clicking on the link here.