Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum & Wars

One of the largest and most comprehensive museums covering British military and social history from 1914 onwards.

Located on the outskirts of the market town of Malton in North Yorkshire, Eden Camp is a multi-award winning Modern History Theme Museum housed within the grounds of an original World War Two prisoner of war camp. It was developed into a museum by local businessman Stan Johnson to stand as a tribute to all people, civilian and military, who endured hardship throughout World War Two.

Today, Eden Camp has people of all ages visiting from around the world to see the story of World War Two re-created using sights, sounds, smells and moving figures to create a unique atmosphere that makes it feel like you travelled back in time to wartime Britain.

In early 1942 the War Office identified and requisitioned a plot of land on the outskirts of Malton with the view of building a camp to accommodate Italian and German prisoners of war captured from the battlefields of Africa and Europe. A small contingence of British Army personnel, led only by a Corporal, arrived at the site and set about constructing a temporary camp for the arrival of the first prisoners. This simple camp became the home for the first influx of prisoners, approximately 250 Italian P.O.Ws, who were tasked with creating a more permanent camp.

Near the end of 1943 the Italian prisoner’s moved out and the camp was used as billets for Polish forces who were amassed in preparation for the invasion of Europe. From mid 1944 until early 1949 the camp housed German prisoners. It was then used to provide accommodation for displaced persons, and later as an agricultural holiday camp and as a Ministry of Agriculture depot.

Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum,
Malton,
North Yorkshire,
YO17 6RT

http://www.edencamp.co.uk