Record Details
| NHER Number: | 25239 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | West Tofts Army Camp |
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Summary
The camp may have originally been built to house Belgian refugees. It was used by the government between 1935 and 1939 as a Labour Camp. The camp housed the unemployed from northern England. It became an army camp in 1939 and is still in use. There are still large World War Two air raid shelters on the camp.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TL 835 919 |
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| Map Sheet: | TL89SW |
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| Parish: | LYNFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Labour Camp 1935 to 1939.
Erected by Ministry of Labour to house unemployed from northern England. Became army camp 1939 and still in use. Mostly Nissen huts.
E. Rose (NAU), 10 April 1989.
However the display at West Tofts Camp states that the camp was believed to have originated as a Belgian refugee camp before being given to the Ministry of Labour.
E. Rose (NLA), 26 January 1995.
[1] states there are deep air raid shelters which the army are considering infilling for safety reasons in 2000.
E. Rose (NLA), 21 March 2000.
2000-2002. Woodland Earthwork Rapid Identification Survey.
Survey of freehold woodland within West Tofts Camp.
No earthworks noted.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 May 2015.
May 2022. Building Survey.
Examination of group of buildings at TL 8362 9216, ahead of their proposed demolition. The group comprises three pairs of Nissen huts, with two of the pairs linked by a brick corridor to a rectangular brick-built shower and toilet block and a seventh, outlying Nissen hut. The majority of these buildings were clearly in use during World War Two, with the three pairs of Nissen huts and the shower and toilet block visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946. It is though possible that they were originally erected when the site was in use as a Ministry of Labour camp. The seventh Nissen hut was moved to this location at a later date and unlike the others is raised on a brick plinth. It was added at some time after 1956, presumably at the same time as the brick corridor that now links it to the shower and toilet block and two of the three pairs of other Nissen huts.
All of the huts are standard Nissen Bow Hut structures dating to either World War Two or the late inter-war period. Most are still in use as sleeping quarters and have clearly seen much internal refurbishment. One of the huts in the outlying pair (both currently used for storage) appears to retain the most original features. It is suggested that the toilet and shower block was probably built to serve the Ministry of Labour camp during the 1930s. The seventh Nissen Hut added when these facilities were upgraded at some point between 1956 and 1976 contains wash basins, a drying room and a boiler room.
See report (S2) for further details and photographic survey.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 March 2023.
Monument Types
- MILITARY CAMP (Early 20th Century to 21st Century - 1901 AD to 2100 AD)
- AIR RAID SHELTER (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- NISSEN HUT (World War Two - 1939 AD? to 1945 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2005. Life in the labour camp. 15 February. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| <S1> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Cushion, B. 2002. STANTA ILMP Woodland Earthwork Rapid Identification Survey. Brian Cushion Archaeological & Cartographical Surveyor. |
| <S2> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Gatfield, F. 2022. Historic Building Record. West Tofts Training Camp. Parker Planning Services. |
Related records - none
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