The Field Marshal Rommel Barracks, Augustdorf of the German Army is located nearby.

The training area lies north of Paderborn, on the western edge of the Teutoburg Forest in the middle of the Senne, at a height of between 113 metres (371 feet) and 382 m above sea level (NN).

The land on which the training area is established falls within the boundaries of the following towns and villages: (clockwise beginning in the north): Augustdorf, Detmold, Schlangen (Lippe), Bad Lippspringe, Paderborn, Hövelhof (Paderborn district), and Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock (Gütersloh district).

The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 concluded that the British Forces Germany would close the Sennelager military training area, and repatriate all troops and equipment back to the United Kingdom by 2020.

The British Army is to base around 250 tanks and armoured vehicles in Germany, to be ready to respond to a potential Russian invasion.