Reconstructed hut on Cannock Chase

[Martin Brown]

Dear All

I had the pleasure of attending the opening of the reconstructed barrack hut on Cannock Chase yesterday. Staffordordshire County Council and the Friends of Cannock Chase have identified and rebuilt one of the barrack huts that once formed the training camps on the Chase. The hut is divided into two parts: one half includes a model of the camps, displays and artefacts from recent No Man's Land excavations while the other half is kitted out as it would have been when soldiers were occupying it.

The hut is situated at the Marquis Drive visitor centre.

Yesterday was the official opening and included a splendid living history and display by the BirminghamPals and their chums.

All credit to the people involved for seeking to commemorate and interpret the heritage of both New Army training and the landscape of what is, at first sight, a wilderness.

Best

Martin

[jnorthall]

http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/news/ww1barracks.htm

[manchester terrier]

Hi Martin

I was there as a "chum" of the Birmingham Pals and had a thoroughly enjoyable day out. It was great to be able to give a bit of "life" to the history of the area. The most enjoyable part of the experience was talking to the people who came along and hearing their stories about the area. One chap told me about his time at RAF Hednesford as a National Serviceman and another told me about visiting the scale model of Messines Ridge (IIRC) sometime between the wars. Talking to the chap from the council, he has abitious plans to bring school parties to the hut to get a feel for the period.

All in all a great day out and its good to know that our display met with approval. It was very much unrehearsed and a bit of a "from scratch" job because we werent told what was expected.

Cheers

[Alan Tucker]

Martin

There is a decent report and a photo in the Bham Weekly Post 20.2.15 under the title 'The Cannock Chase encampment. A mushroom town of military huts'

[Martin Brown]

Martin

There is a decent report and a photo in the Bham Weekly Post 20.2.15 under the title 'The Cannock Chase encampment. A mushroom town of military huts'

Many thanks for this reference, which I will chase up when I am in Brum! The camps were the biggest development ever on the Chase and have left numerous traces, including the road system.

Martin