PRISONER OF WAR CAMP 93
Harperley, County Durham
Harperley POW camp, Camp 93, is situated just west of Crook, in Weardale, County Durham. It is on a 17 acre site, which was built in 1942 to house Italian, and later German, prisoners of war. The camp stayed in use until 1948. Since then it has been used as chicken sheds, which probably saved it from destruction, until the previous owner died, and the present owner bought the site in 2001 with a view to restoring it to its former glory. The site consists of 49 huts, and some still have original features such as the theatre, and pictures drawn by prisoners to decorate the walls.
The site has now been listed by English Heritage, and is the first ever to be given this distinction, so it is now a protected monument. The present owners, James and Lisa McCleod, plan to develop and restore the site for museum and educational purposes, with the help of grants and expertise from English Heritage.
There is a web site that can be visited for more information at www.harperleypowshop.co.uk
It has also appeared on the BBC "Restoration" programme, as one of the regional finalists for August 2003.
CLICK HERE to check out the details on the BBC website
Below are a few photos of the site as it is before restoration gets underway, which should prove a rewarding challenge. Click on photo for a larger image.
For some more photographs of our visits to the site CLICK HERE
Visitors since August 2003