Freedom Parade in Winchester

A Freedom Parade involving the King’s Royal Hussars will take place in Winchester on Thursday 9 July.

The event is being arranged jointly by the Regiment and Winchester City Council in celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Hussars.

The right of ‘Freedom of Entry’ to the city is an ancient privilege and allows a Regiment to parade through Winchester with ‘bayonets fixed, drums beating and colours flying’. It comes from a period in history when only trusted units would be allowed to carry arms within city boundaries. The City Council awarded Freedom of Entry to the King’s Royal Hussars on 5 January 2005.

The event is over lunchtime with around 250 troops plus band ‘stepping off’ from Peninsula Barracks, marching down the High Street, forming up in the Broadway for inspection and then moving off around the King Alfred statue to fall out in the Guildhall Yard. There may be some small military vehicles on display in the Broadway.

Approximate timings are:

12:10 Parade form-up at Peninsula Barracks

12:30 Parade steps off and turns right into Romsey Road, continues into Upper High Street, down pedestrianised area

12:40 Parade arrives in The Broadway and forms up; inspection of parade

13:00 The Parade moves off and marches around the King Alfred Statue/Eastgate Street Roundabout and back past the Guildhall, giving eyes left as it passes the Guildhall steps , then turns left into Colebrook Street and left again into Guildhall Yard to fall out