The Royal Marines Band Service, Memorial Garden


At 08.22 hours on 22nd September 1989, three members of the Provisional IRA, a dissident terrorist group, detonated an improvised explosive device in the recreation room immediately adjacent to this site. Eleven members of the Royal Marines Band Service were killed and twelve others, including three civilians, were seriously injured.

The end section of wall remains from the original building that had stood here as a multi-purpose church and school and later as a concert hall. A fire destroyed this building in 2003. It has now become the central feature of the Band Service Memorial Garden.

A short and very poignant memorial service is held annually in this Memorial Garden early on the morning of 22nd September to remember those who were killed and injured in that terrible atrocity.

Trail Directions: Return to Canada Road, turn left and take the next left into Campbell Road.

This is just one of the many narrow streets of quaint and historic small fishing cottages that can be found close to the sea front, from here in Walmer right to the north end of Deal. It was one of these cottages, backing on to North Barracks, which was rented and used as a base by the three Provisional IRA bombers just prior to the 1989 bombing.

Trail Directions: Turn right into Wollaston Road and cross York Road to The Strand.