The Gurkha Museum

The Gurkha Museum takes you on a journey of discovery through the history of Gurkhas in British service.

Early on it is the war of 1815 between Britain and Nepal which results in mutual respect rather than hostility and leads to the first Gurghas being enlisted. Their story covers not only their battles and campaigns but the culture and religion of the brave warriors. We see them locked in battle with mutinous sepoys in 1857, then standing guard in India's north west and north east frontiers before being sent half a world away to the trenches of the western front in 1915.

In the 1939-45 World War, 120,000 Gurkhas fought the Japenese in Malaya and Burma and the Germans and Italians in North Africa and Italy.

Immediately after the war Gurkhas fought in Greece, Vietnam and Indonesia before fighting the 12 year long communist insurrection in Malaya. Then followed action in Borneo, Hong Kong, The Falklands and, more recently, East Timor, The Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. Displays in the museum cover all these campaigns and more right up to the present day.

The Gurkha Museum has been selected from 100 Museums in the United Kingdom in partnership with the BBC and British Museum to participate in “The History of the World” . The item selected for display is The Fisher Kukri – a weapon of the Gurkha soldier – used by Lieutenant John Federick Lane Fisher at Delhi during the Indian Mutiny in 1857. Come to see the Kukri at the Gurkha Museum Indian Mutiny display and learn about the military service given by Gurkhas to the Crown for nearly 200 years the special relationship between the nations of Nepal and Great Britain.

Opening Times

Open 01/01/2011 - 31/12/2012

Tickets information

Children (up to 16 years) go FREE

Road Directions

Follow signs for Hospital A&E into Romsey Road and turn into Peninsula Barracks. SO23 8TS

Public Transport Directions

The Gurhka Museum is in Peninsula Barracks, next to the Great Hall. The railway station at Winchester is a 10 minute walk