The main street of the Longmoor part of the camp is built on an ancient Roman road, the Chichester to Silchester Way, while the village of Greatham lies to the west.

[3] However, the Army's main barracks were at Aldershot Garrison, requiring a 20 miles (32 km) march or expensive railway journey to access the new training grounds.

[6] With construction curtailed on the first site by the Second Boer War, the Army began work at Longmoor Camp.

After being laid out by the Royal Engineers in August 1900, construction materials were transported from Bentley railway station, with the resultant damage by commercial traction engines to the public roads bringing about the first trial of pneumatic tyred lorries to the British Army.

[6] In November 1902, the War Department bought the 550 acres (220 ha) Broxhead Warren estate from Sir David Miller Barbour[7] for £20,000, added to by an additional purchase for £18,000 in early 1903.

However it was built on boggy ground and the troops immediately began to complain of problems and the medical officers of ill health.

Captain Dale Dye, a Marine veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" for heroism during the Vietnam War and also plays Colonel Robert Sink in the miniseries, operated the boot camp as senior military advisor.

Twin shire horses provided by the 13th and 59th Companies Army Service Corps[3] would then drag a steel rope up to 500 yards (460 m) up the railway track.

[3][5] The average speed was 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h), with additional steam traction engine assistance required up steep hills, and drag ropes and anchors on declines of over 1:6.

In June 1903, a sapper was crushed to death underneath a hut, while the team attempted a hoist in the rain.

[20][21] The War Office decided to formalise the Woolmer Light Railway as a full-time instructional installation, having had to move the 8th and 10th Railway Companies of the Royal Engineers from Chatham, to support the 53rd Company at Longmoor for the hut moving task.

[3] Due to the steep grades of the Woolmer Light Railway, quickly surveyed but overcome by anchored steam power, the Royal Engineers surveyed an amended alignment for the proposed 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge line, running closer to the Whitehill – Greatham road.