THE NATIONAL CAMPS CORPORATIONS Part 2 -(31 Camp Schools)

THE NATIONAL CAMPS CORPORATIONS -

Part 2 looking at the 31 Camp Schools.

"In any of these camps, you could be forgiven for thinking you were at Wyre Farm Camp School, but would maybe notice the location was unfamiliar!"

This Government Video was put out in 1950 after the evacuation camp era had ended and the camps had become local authority schools. The video focusses on Sheephatch Camp School Tilford Surry.

The video owners only allow you to watch it directly on YouTube, So click the link below to watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeybfB0KIT4

RESEARCH - For further research check out the National Archives https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
The National Archives at Kew houses collections dating 1939-1962 which relate to the National Camps Corporation. The National Archives' database is searchable online.

And Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Camps_Corporation

THE NATIONAL CAMPS CORPORATION REMIT

The National Camps Corporation's remit was to build 50 camp Schools in 1939, in remote areas around the country, initially to enable children from towns and cities to be able to experience something the countryside and animal life. The money ran out after thirty one had been built. in all the Corporation considered 155 sites for camps. it was thought that some 30 to 40 camps would be constructed in England and Wales - the rest in Scotland.

The camps seemingly varied in capacity, from 350 to to under 200 in the case of Wyre Farm Camp school. Although located in the country, they were attached to an urban area and their location in the country was also idea for their use as evacuation camps. Some camps had boys and girls - others just one sex - it perhaps varied according to decisions by the local Education Authorities and the needs and resources of the area. The average cost of the camps, including land purchase, construction and fitting out was £25000 in the money of the day.

HERE IS A LIST OF THE 31 CAMP SCHOOLS AND THEIR LOCATION

Here they are listed by county. They are correct as far as I can determine. If anyone can correct any of the information, please do.

NORTHUMBRIA

1 Brownrigg Camp School, Bellingham, Nr Hexham, B6320 Northumberland. For Newcastle.

2 Dukeshouse Wood Camp School, Hexham, Northumbria.

LANCASHIRE

3 White Acre Lane Camp School Clitheroe Nr Walley Lancs A59 Served Manchester

YORKSHIRE

4 Bewerley Park Camp School near Pateley between Hebden Bridge and Ripon AB6265.

5 Linton Residential Camp school - Grassington, North Yorkshire - serving Bradford. B6265

6 Cottage Pasture Camp School Etton North Yorkshire Nr Beverley, West Riding York

DERBYSHIRE

7 Amber Valley Camp, Woolley Moor, Alfreton, Near Ashover Derbyshire

CHESHIRE

8 Marton Camp school, ,Northwich Cheshire

DENBIGHSHIRE

9 Colomendy Hall Camp School, Loggerheads Denbighshire - Mold Cheshire between Ruthin and Chester A541 - For Liverpool and Colomendy Wood.

STAFFORDSHIRE

10 Pipewood Camp School, (for Girls) Blithbury, Rugeley Staffordshire. Between Stafford and Litchfield A513

11 Shooting Butts Camp School, Penkridge Bank Road, Rugeley, Staffordshire.

SHROPSHIRE

12 Wyre Farm Camp School / City of Coventry Boarding School. Cleobury Mortimer. Between Ludlow and Kidderminster. A411

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

13 Hurley Buckinghamshire

14 Horsleys Green Camp School, Stokenchurch, Horsleys Green Buckinghamshire or High Wycombe.

15 Finnamore Wood Camp Marlow Buckinghamshire Redbridge Greater London.

HERTFORDSHIRE

16 St. Margaret's Farm Camp school, Great Gaddesden, Berkhamsted, Nr Hemel Hempstead. Herts.

17 Lord's Field Camp School. Overton. Herts

OXFORDSHIRE

18 Oxford: Henley (No further information on this)

BERKSHIRE

19 Cockpole Green Camp School Berkshire

20 Kennylands Camp School, Kidmore End, Near Sonning, Reading, Berkshire B 418

21 Bishopswood Farm Camp School, Sonning Common, Near Reading, Berkshire.

HAMPSHIRE

22 West Mark Camp School, Sheet Common Hampshire or Petersfield (sometimes called Dell)

SURRY

23 Sayers Croft Camp School Cranleigh or Ewhurst Catford Surrey B2127

24 Elmbridge Camp School, Cranleigh Surrey between Guilford and Horsham off B218

25 Merstham Surrey (No further information on this)

26 Merchant's Hill Camp Nr Hindhead and Haslemere, Surrey

27 Sheephatch Camp School Tilford Layton Surrey. Between Farnham and Haslemere off B3001.

28 Coopers Farm Camp Sussex (West) Itchingfield near Horsham Surrey A264

29 Wedges Farm Camp School West Itchingfield near Horsham Surrey

SUSSEX

30 Wrens Warren Camp School Coleman's Hatch, Hartfield East Sussex. B2026

31 Hydon Heath Camp school, Essex ? No further information on this)

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF THE CAMPS FOLLOW THE ABOVE COUNTY LIST

(WHERE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE)

NORTHUMBRIA

Brownrigg Camp School,

Bellingham, Northumberland, Nr Hexham, B6320 Northumberland.

For Newcastle

http://brownriggschool.co.uk/aboutus.html

"Brown Rigg School was constructed in 1938, built by the National Camps Corporation. The school's first function was to house evacuees from Newcastle, all girls , who were fleeing the bombing taking place in the city."

Brown Rigg Dining Hall

Dukeshouse Wood Camp School near Hexham in Northumberland.

https://www.hexhamhistorian.org/historic-hexham/photograph-archive/photo-archive-choices/hexham-choices/schools-choices/dukeshouse-wood-centre-gallery/

Lancashire

White Acre Lane Camp School Clitheroe Nr Walley Lancs.

https://issuu.com/greenparkcourt/docs/the_history_of_green_park_court

YORKSHIRE

BEWERLEY PARK CAMP SCHOOL - PATELEY BRIDGE

Bewerley Park Camp School, Pateley Bridge

Bewerley Park Dorm 1940

HRH the Duke of Edinburgh visits Bewerley Park in 1967

Bewerley Park Book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bewerley-Park-School-Outdoor-1940-1974/dp/0954417003

Bewerley Park was built as a Camp School as a result of the Camps Act of 1939 and was finished in March 1940. The 18 acres of land required for Bewerley Park was purchased in June 1939 from the Agricultural Society for £1,900. Before the Camp School could be used as originally intended, the 2nd World War broke out and about 200 evacuees, from Leeds, stayed at Bewerley Park between August 1940 and June 1945.

Linton Residential Camp school

Grassington, North Yorkshire - serving Bradford. B6265

https://www.lintoncampschool.uk/

Here is a video of what remains of Linton Camp School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F65dqmtILAY&t=15s

Cottage Pasture Camp School

Etton North Yorkshire Nr Beverley, West Riding York

https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/etton-pasture-special-school-e-yorks-may09.39872/

DERBYSHIRE

Amber Valley Camp,

Woolley Moor, Alfreton, Near Ashover Derbyshire.

CHESHIRE

Marton Camp school, Northwich Cheshire

DENBIGHSHIRE

Colomendy - North Wales 2 Sites

"Colomendy was built in 1939 by the National Camps Corporation as a wartime refuge for Liverpool schoolchildren. The first children arrived in April 1940 from Dingle."

BERKSHIRE

19 Cockpole Green Camp School Berkshire

20 Kennylands Camp School, Kidmore End, Near Sonning, Reading, Berkshire B 418

21 Bishopswood Farm Camp School, Sonning Common, Near Reading, Berkshire.

STAFFORDSHIRE

Pipewood Camp School,

(For Girls) Blithbury, Rugeley Staffordshire. Between Stafford and Litchfield A513

Shooting Butts Camp School,

Penkridge Bank Road, Rugeley, Staffordshire

SHROPSHIRE

Wyre Farm Camp School / City of Coventry Boarding School. Cleobury Mortimer. Between Ludlow and Kidderminster. A411

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Hurley Buckinghamshire.

No further information or photos.

Horsleys Green Camp School,

Stokenchurch, Horsleys Green Buckinghamshire or High Wycombe.

Finnamore Wood Camp

Marlow Buckinghamshire Redbridge Greater London.

HERTFORDSHIRE

St. Margaret's Farm Camp school,

Great Gaddesden, Berkhamsted, Nr Hemel Hempstead. Herts.

https://www.hemelatwar.org/imagedbresultsfull8502.html?productID=145

Lords Field Camp School,

Overton. Herts

OXFORDSHIRE

Oxford: Henley (No further information on this)

BERKSHIRE

Cockpole Green Camp School

Berkshire (No further information or photos)

Bishopswood Farm Camp School,

Sonning Common, Near Reading, Berkshire.

No specific photos found

Kennylands Camp School,

Kidmore End, Near Sonning, Reading, Berkshire B 418

This was the first camp school to be used as an evacuation camp.

"Kennylands was the first camp to be finished and occupied. There were five dormitories, each 90 feet long by about 15 feet wide with a large covered veranda at the far end. Inside there was a small partitioned room at each corner. Two of these were occupied by masters"

Read more about this camp here on this PDF EVACUEES https://merl.reading.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/07/B19317-MERL-LR-03-Evacuee-1-Terry-5.pdf

King and Queen at Kennylands British Pathe News Video

The Entrance to Kennyland

Evacuees at Kennylands Camp School, near Sonning

More of the above via this link https://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire/content/articles/2009/09/08/evac_feature.shtml

HAMPSHIRE

West Mark Camp School, Sheet Common Hampshire or Petersfield (sometimes called Dell)

SURRY

Sayers Croft Camp School

Cranleigh or Ewhurst Catford Surrey B2127

Elmbridge Camp School, Cranleigh Surrey

Merstham Surrey - Camp School

(No further information on this)

Sheephatch Camp School

Tilford, Surrey.

Coopers Farm Camp 1939-1945

Sussex (West) Itchingfield.

"One such camp in Itchingfield was called Cooper’s Camp – named after the farmland on which it stood. It was built by James Longley & Co, from Crawley, under contract to the National Camps Corporation. The camp was occupied by 200 boys from Tom Hood Central School, Leytonstone – and they brought all the school’s equipment with them. The lads were looked after by headmaster Mr AE Hunt and the other teachers."

https://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/retro/home-home-world-war-two-evacuees-1218530