A language study trip to England or Wales with LEC lets you explore cities such as London, Cardiff, or even York…but also lesser-known towns. It is one of these that our organization has chosen to describe to you today: let’s set off for Sandhursttogether!
Sandhurst, a town in Berkshire
Sandhurst is located in the county of Berkshire, a region you might have the pleasure of exploring during a language study trip to England. Located southwest of the UK’s capital, it is only a few dozen miles away. A town ofabout 22,000 inhabitants, Sandhurst derives its name from its sandy soils and its " hurst "—a rarely used word meaning "wood."
At the legendary Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
But Sandhurst owes its fame to one particular factor: the town is home to one of the most prestigious military academies in the entire country. Its name? The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst —to be referred to as the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst during your language study trip to England. Commonly referred to as RMA Sandhurst, it is the training school for officer cadets of the British Army, the land branch of the United Kingdom’s armed forces founded in the 1660s.
How did the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst come into being?
Currently led by Major General Patrick Marriott, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst will soon celebrate its 70th anniversary. It was founded in 1947 as a result of a merger between the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, which specialized in training officers for the Corps of Engineers and the Artillery, and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, renowned for having trained British cavalry and infantry officers for decades. Among the most famous alumni to have passed through the current academy are Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming, and even Prince Harry!