Poignant site of 'world's first' prisoner of war camp in Cambridgeshire preserved for future
The remains of the Napoleonic camp at Norman Cross lie buried under a field in Cambridgeshire and the site has bought by the Nene Park Trust, which wants to preserve it.
Located near Peterborough, it contains the remains of around 1,770 French, Dutch and German soldiers captured in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars fought between the French and other European nations.
The trust says it wants to open the area to the public as an historic and green space.
The camp now lies barely visible under a field used for arable crops and grazing.
But it previously held a self-contained town, with barracks, offices, a hospital, school, marketplace and banking system, according to historian Paul Chamberlain.
It operated from 1797 to 1814 and housed around 7,000 French prisoners.
The location was chosen because it was far from the sea, making it difficult for any escapees to return to France.
Prisoners made intricate models from bone, wood and straw to sell at the camp market and trade for food, tobacco and wine.
Around 800 of these artefacts, which include miniature ships and chateaus, are on display at the nearby Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery.
The trust received £200,000 of grant funding from Historic England and £50,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to buy the camp following years of negotiations.
Its acquisition was fought for by resident Derek Lopez, who owned the Norman Cross Gallery near Yaxley and was an advocate of Peterborough's history.
He died last year before seeing the sale complete.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: 'The Norman Cross prisoner of war camp represents a pivotal moment in our shared European heritage that deserves to be better known.'
Matthew Bradbury, chief executive of Nene Park Trust, said he was 'delighted' to take on the ownership of Norman Cross and wanted 'to share its green space and unique stories for generations to come'.
Heritage minister Baroness Twycross said: 'Norman Cross represents a poignant chapter in our shared European story.
'The remarkable stories of those held in what was the first purpose-built prisoner of war camp should be remembered now and in the future.
'This partnership has secured this valuable heritage site for generations to come.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
Historic Birmingham pub's 'rare and remarkable' survival
In the grounds of a 19th Century park lies an old, derelict, timber-framed pub which has had to withstand both the passage of time and destroyed in the English Civil Wars, it was then dismantled and relocated before, in the 20th Century, almost being burnt down by suffragettes. The story of the Grade II listed Golden Lion in Birmingham is one of a "rare and remarkable" survival, conservationists say, and many believe the community has a duty to rescue it from ruin. Leaders of the restoration project received a boost in August after Historic England awarded them £344,265 to make vital repairs. The Golden Lion was one of 37 heritage sites in England - and four in the West Midlands - to receive funding, which also included the Bethesda Methodist Chapel in Stoke-on-Trent - known as the "cathedral of the Potteries".With the pub, which was originally based in Deritend High Street, its early history is "shrouded in mystery" though some of its timbers date back to the 15th Century, the Birmingham Conservation Trust building was rebuilt between 1616 and 1644, thought to be as a result of damage during a Royalist attack on Birmingham in the Civil Wars era. Since then, the Golden Lion has been used as a pub, culler's house, six small homes, a scrap shop and a rangers' hut, the trust was dismantled by the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society in 1911 before it was rebuilt at its current location in Cannon Hill Park, where it was used as a cricket the votes for women protests, it was badly damaged in an arson attack carried out by suffragettes in 1912. Sarah Hayes, museum and trust director at the conservation trust, said: "It's a rare and remarkable survival of a timber-framed building in Birmingham, one that has stood the test of time and survived beyond all odds."But the building has stood empty and unused for 20 years, falling into a dilapidated state, with scaffolding currently surrounding the trust has been working with Birmingham City Council to try and bring it back into community use, though the grant from Historic England, a spokesperson said, would make the site secure and watertight but not yet repair work will include fixing the roof, chimneys, walls, floors, windows and doors, as well as adding French doors to the rear before the scaffolding is Hayes said it was "our turn" to help the much-loved building in "desperate" need of help."In many ways it feels like the last chance for us to act before its condition becomes beyond repair," she added. Meanwhile in Stoke-on-Trent, charity Re-Form Heritage said it was "delighted and grateful" to receive £521,737 of funding for its work to rejuvenate Bethesda Methodist Chapel in Grade II* listed building on Albion Street, Hanley, was first built in 1798, according to the Friends of Bethesda first, it seated 600 people but was deemed to be too small in 1813, so the back wall was removed and the building extended to fit 1,000 the "fire of Methodism" grew in the Potteries, the Friends of Bethesda Chapel said it was once again judged to be too small in 1819 so the extension was pulled down and chapel reopened to worshippers in 1820 and was "full to excess" with about 3,000 people in England said the chapel stood as a "testament to the power and influence of the Methodist Church" in 19th Century Stoke-on-Trent. Since its closure in 1985, the Friends of Bethesda Chapel and Historic Chapels Trust have been maintaining the specialists Re-Form Heritage have taken control of the efforts to bring the building back into grant will go towards repairing plasterwork, timber panelling, staircases, east lobby and ceiling coving, a spokesperson charity said the renovated site would "provide a more attractive, comfortable and accessible space".Under the plans, the building will be used as a mixed-use space in the future, housing creative arts education specialist Pinc College and feature exhibition and performance Heritage chief executive Alasdair Brook said: "The funds will allow us to move forward with bringing the much-loved Cathedral of the Potteries back into community use."We're excited at being able to progress our work at this important Grade II* listed building over the coming months." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Glasgow Times
17 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Last surviving Second World War Victoria Cross recipient dies aged 105
Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank, from Aberdeen, received the VC for bravery during an attack on an enemy submarine that left him seriously injured. A total of 181 people received Britain's highest military decoration for their actions during the war. The RAF captain's family told the BBC he died last week and that a funeral would be held in private, the news outlet reported on Saturday. John Cruickshank in uniform (MOD/PA) Flt Lt Cruickshank was the captain of a Catalina flying boat with 210 Squadron, flying submarine-hunting missions from RAF Sullom Voe, in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. On July 17 1944, aged 24, he was sent on a patrol to protect the British Home Fleet as it returned from an attack on the German battleship Tirpitz. A U-boat was spotted on the surface near Norway and the aircraft he was captaining and piloting launched an offensive. The first bombs failed to release but Flt Lt Cruickshank turned the plane to face enemy fire and attack again. He dropped depth charges during the second attempt, sinking the U-boat. Flt Lt Cruickshank sustained 72 injuries including two to his lungs and 10 to his lower limbs during the assault. The navigator was killed, three other crew members were severely injured, and the badly damaged aircraft was filled with fumes from exploding shells. John Cruickshank beside a Eurofighter at RAF Fairford's International Air Tattoo (David Jones/PA) After the victory, Flt Lt Cruickshank left the cockpit but refused painkillers and continued to advise his second pilot who had taken control. The surviving crew members spent five and a half hours flying back to Sullom Voe. Despite losing consciousness multiple times during their return, he assisted the second pilot with the landing which took an hour. In 2013, Flt Lt Cruickshank said: 'It was just normal, we were trained to do the job and that was it. 'I wouldn't like to say I'm the only one that has an amazing story, there are plenty of other stories coming from that time. 'It wasn't that wonderful in those days, I can tell you that. We could only think in those days there were better days to come.' After the war ended Flt Lt Cruickshank returned to his career in banking.
South Wales Guardian
17 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Last surviving Second World War Victoria Cross recipient dies aged 105
Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank, from Aberdeen, received the VC for bravery during an attack on an enemy submarine that left him seriously injured. A total of 181 people received Britain's highest military decoration for their actions during the war. The RAF captain's family told the BBC he died last week and that a funeral would be held in private, the news outlet reported on Saturday. Flt Lt Cruickshank was the captain of a Catalina flying boat with 210 Squadron, flying submarine-hunting missions from RAF Sullom Voe, in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. On July 17 1944, aged 24, he was sent on a patrol to protect the British Home Fleet as it returned from an attack on the German battleship Tirpitz. A U-boat was spotted on the surface near Norway and the aircraft he was captaining and piloting launched an offensive. The first bombs failed to release but Flt Lt Cruickshank turned the plane to face enemy fire and attack again. He dropped depth charges during the second attempt, sinking the U-boat. Flt Lt Cruickshank sustained 72 injuries including two to his lungs and 10 to his lower limbs during the assault. The navigator was killed, three other crew members were severely injured, and the badly damaged aircraft was filled with fumes from exploding shells. After the victory, Flt Lt Cruickshank left the cockpit but refused painkillers and continued to advise his second pilot who had taken control. The surviving crew members spent five and a half hours flying back to Sullom Voe. Despite losing consciousness multiple times during their return, he assisted the second pilot with the landing which took an hour. In 2013, Flt Lt Cruickshank said: 'It was just normal, we were trained to do the job and that was it. 'I wouldn't like to say I'm the only one that has an amazing story, there are plenty of other stories coming from that time. 'It wasn't that wonderful in those days, I can tell you that. We could only think in those days there were better days to come.' After the war ended Flt Lt Cruickshank returned to his career in banking.
