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'Our job is to protect a fort - to be fair it hasn't been attacked lately'

Abigail Taylor
BBC News NI
Norman Briggs 20 men in full ceremonial dress, including military style jackets and hats with feather plumes. The uniforms are navy, with white and red stripes across the front. They are wearing black boots and have swords on their sides. Norman Briggs
The Hillsborough Fort Guard has existed since the 1600s

A special celebration in a County Down village has brought the United Kingdom's oldest and smallest private army back up to its full complement.

Royal Hillsborough played host to the warrant ceremony of 13 new members of the Hillsborough Fort Guard on Saturday.

The Guard was formed by Colonel Arthur Hill, who built the fort in 1660. But its members have only a ceremonial role.

"Our job is to protect the fort and to be fair, it hasn't been attacked recently," Simon Walker, a corporal in the guard, told BBC News NI.

Two men smile into the camera. They are wearing old style army uniforms and hats. The hats are black with a tall red feather on top. The uniforms are black with red and white hoops across the front. The shoulders have red and white patterns.
Jackie McQuillan and Alan Finn were both part of the Investiture of Warrants ceremony on Saturday

The guard has a centuries-long history, although it has not always been well populated.

During the Plantation of Ulster, King Charles II granted a Royal Charter to have 20 soldiers to protect Hillsborough Fort.

Since that time, Mr Walker says, sometimes only one man has kept the guard going.

"But the tradition has never ended," he says.

The Investiture of Warrants ceremony is a rare historical moment as Hillsborough Fort Guard welcomed its first full complement of 20 warders since the late Victorian period.

Dressed in their new bespoke uniforms, the warders paraded up Park Street, onto Dromore Road and down Main Street to Hillsborough Parish Church to music by the band of the Royal Irish Regiment.

"The last time that it had 20 men, my great grandfather was one of the warders," Mr Walker said.

Trevor Hill A red box with a crest on the front that says Hillsborough Fort Guard in a white circle. A black hat is on top of the box which has a maroon coloured feather plume out of the top. The box is sitting on grass in front of the stone Fort building. A silver sword is in front of the box.Trevor Hill
There is nearly 400 years of history in this Guard

The Guard takes pride in the village and strives to improve community spirit and increase tourism.

Warder Trevor Hill said: "We are very much centrally based within the community, we do various walking tours and presentations, and we also run bingo nights, which is great for getting the community together."

"I think will be brilliant for the village, the whole district, and just a wonderful experience, a once in a lifetime opportunity," he said.

Arthur Nicholas Hill, 9th Marquess of Downshire leads the Guard, and said this is the first time in living memory that they will be at full strength.

"There is nearly 400 years of history in this Guard," he said.

Mr Hill selects who becomes a warder, and they must be from County Down.

"The large majority of them have all done some public service, not necessarily be in the army as some have been in the fire service or the police or the prison service."

The future is bright for the regiment as the quota has been filled.

"We haven't yet got our first lady member, but we have one in our sights. So that could be exciting as well that would be a new part of history."