Skipton gardens dug up in hunt for WWI camp
- Published
Gardens have been dug up in an archaeological search for the remains of a World War One camp.
Raikeswood Camp, in Skipton, North Yorkshire, was built as a training base for the soldiers of the Bradford Pals in 1915 and became a prisoner of war camp in 1918.
After 900 German officers left in 1919 it was gradually covered by houses.
Now school students and archaeologists are carrying out small-scale digs in residents' gardens.
A team of 20 students and 10 professional archaeologists are involved.
Nina Wardleworth, who agreed to a pit being dug in her garden, said: "Whatever turns up will be very interesting. It really makes history come alive."
Image source, SkiptonPOWRob Freeman, a project officer with the dig, said small square pits would be dug as part of a "keyhole excavation".
"Skipton was very much a garrison town during World War One and we've had a lot of interest from residents," he said.
A further archaeological dig on the only undeveloped strip of land on the site has also taken place.
A number of military artefacts were found in previous digs including a trench whistle and German army belt clasp.
Prisoners who had kept diaries and sketches in captivity managed to smuggle their work out of the camp and published a book about their experiences when they returned to Germany.
A copy of the book found its way to Skipton Library but lay forgotten and was not translated until 2015.
Image source, Bradford WW1 GroupPals battalions
- Formed in World War One as friends and colleagues enlisted together and many were formed in northern towns
- The first Bradford Pals battalion was raised at the Bradford Mechanic's Institute in 1914
- The Bradford Pals were among thousands of soldiers that advanced into the Battler of the Somme in 1916
- The first day of the battle is the most disastrous single day ever experienced by the British army, with almost 20,000 men killed
Source: BBC
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