MILITARY MUSEUM PLANS FOR CITY
A MUSEUM telling the story of military medicine through the ages could be on its way to Cardiff.
A public consultation is being launched today to discuss the proposal, which could see the Museum of Military Medicine being relocated from its current location at Keogh Barracks, near Aldershot, to Cardiff Bay.
The attraction, which was previously linked to the empty Bute Street Railway Station, is now proposed for a new site at the junction of Lloyd George Avenue and Hemingway Road.
It is thought moving the site to Cardiff will help tell the story of military medicine, and its benefits to the wider public, in a more modern and interactive way.
The museum is currently home to the collections of the four corps of the Army Medical Services – the Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Royal Army Dental Corps and Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.
It tells the story of army medicine and healthcare from the English Civil War to the present day.
A Cardiff council spokesman said: “Cardiff council recognises the significance of bringing a national collection to the city as part of its tourism offer as it seeks to establish itself as a European capital.”
As well as housing a wide collection of artefacts such as uniforms and veterinary equipment, the museum also holds an extensive library and archive that records many stories of people who have served.
The move is part of a bid to create an outward facing, more inclusive, cultural enterprise within Cardiff.
The proposed site is near other historic and cultural buildings within the city such as the Wales Millennium Centre, The Coal Exchange, The Senedd and the Pierhead Building.
International design practice Scott Brownrigg has created the design.
The plans aim to reflect Cardiff Bay’s cultural and industrial heritage as a port and industrial area, by using the concept of a ship or industrial container to host the exhibits and artefacts.
A cafe, reading room, research facilities and an auditorium will be open for community use.
The current museum has a variety of artefacts, including many donated by people connected to the corps or their families.
Among some of the more unusual items are a box of dental tools used by Napoleon’s dentist when in exile on St Helena, a wooden model of a horse’s leg used as a teaching aid for farriers, the death mask of Rudolph Hess, and the training models for maxilla-facial surgeons.