| Stanford Training Area | |
|---|---|
| Stanford, Norfolk | |
 Urban training compound on STANTA. | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Training Area |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Controlled by |  British Army |
| Location | |
  Stanford Training Area Location within Norfolk | |
| Coordinates | 52°31′15″N0°45′17″E / 52.52078°N 0.75480°E /52.52078; 0.75480 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1942–present |
TheStanford Training Area (STANTA), originally known as theStanford Battle Area, is aBritish Army training area in the English county ofNorfolk. The area is approximately 30,000 acres (120 km2; 47 sq mi) in size; it is some 7 miles (11 km) north of the town ofThetford, 25 miles (40 km) south-southeast of the port town ofKing's Lynn, and approximately 36 miles (58 km) south-west of the city ofNorwich.[1]
The site was established in 1942, when a battle training area was required, and a "Nazi village" was built.[1] Military exercises were already known in the area; tanks had deployed to Thetford in theFirst World War. The complete takeover involved the evacuation of the villages ofBuckenham Tofts,Langford,Stanford,Sturston,Tottington andWest Tofts.[2]
The area was used during the run-up to theD-Day invasion and since then has hosted many exercises. In 2009 a 12.5-acre (51,000 m2) village designed to replicate itsAfghan equivalent was added to the Training Area for the training of troops deployed in support of theWar in Afghanistan. The site, built at a cost of £14 million, is populated by Afghan nationals,[2] ex-Gurkha soldiers and amputee actors, who simulate theAfghan National Army, locals and wounded soldiers.[3] The village includes houses, a market and a mosque. It also features a system that pumps out smells like rotten meat and sewage.[3]
The Battle Area was used in the filming of many of the episodes of the comedy seriesDad's Army.[4]
The SwedishCrown Princess Victoria andPrince Daniel visited STANTA, where Swedish military instructors were delivering training toUkrainian soldiers, in November 2023.[5]
The British Army, alongside allied nations such as Canada, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Kosovo, Sweden, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Norway and Romania have been utilising STANTA as part ofOperation Interflex, the UK's mission to deliver basic and leadership training to theArmed Forces of Ukraine, followingRussia's invasion in 2022. In April 2024, theRoyal Anglian Regiment were continuing to deliver three courses at STANTA;Platoon Commanders,Platoon Sergeants and Section Commanders Battle Courses. Ukrainian troops are taught how to deal with complex scenarios involving trench warfare, close quarters fighting, drones and mines.[6][7]
The battle area includes four historic churches; the one at West Tofts was restored byPugin and a new church building forms part of the purpose-built village of Eastmere, built to give soldiers experience of fighting on the northern European plains. There is a short landing strip at52°32′29″N0°42′06″E / 52.541422°N 0.701805°E /52.541422; 0.701805.[8]
It was announced in mid 2023 that "trench facilities located close to the perimeter of the Urban Training Facility, consisting of pre-cast concrete ducts/channels forming linear T-shaped trenches, with a mixture of pre-cast and cast in-situ structures" were to be constructed and completed by June 2024.[9]