Catterick Garrison

Catterick Garrison is a major garrison located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, in addition to a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than the neighbouring village of Catterick.

It is not one single enclosed site, but consists of several separate barracks around which a town has developed. The Garrison gained its first large supermarket, a Tesco store, in 2000; along with a retail park including a McDonalds. The road signs have been changed to read "Town Centre" instead of "Camp Centre" (which is a roundabout). The garrison houses both 4 Mechanised Brigade and the Infantry Training Centre (Catterick)—where all infantry soldiers receive their basic training.

The siting of the garrison was first recommended by Robert Baden-Powell who founded the Scouting movement in 1908 whilst he was based at the army barracks—at that time located in Richmond Castle. The area was originally named Richmond Camp before being changed to Catterick Camp in 1915.

Under plans announced by the Ministry of Defence in November 2005, the population of Catterick Garrison is expected to grow to over 25,000 by 2020, making it the largest population centre in the local area.

Read more about Catterick Garrison:  HQ School of Infantry, Infantry Training Centre, Barracks, Units Based in Catterick, Other Units

Famous quotes containing the word garrison:

    Our country is the world—our countrymen are all mankind.
    —William Lloyd Garrison (1805–1879)