First prisoner-of-war camp site opens to public

The new viewing area of the Norman Cross campsite with information panels was unveiled last week

What is believed to be the first purpose-built prisoner-of-war camp, dating from the Napoleonic Wars, is now open to the public.

The Norman Cross Camp in Yaxley, just south of Peterborough, housed about 7,000 French prisoners and dates back to 1796.

The historic site, bought by the Nene Park Trust this year, has been brought back to life with new information panels, videos, and digital tools which help give an overview of what the camp once looked like.

A launch event and two guided tours were held last week, led by Paul Chamberlain, an expert on the Napoleonic era. A viewing area was also unveiled, accessed via a pedestrian gate off London Road.

Local resident Derek Lopez, a long-term supporter of the site, was honoured at the launch event

Norman Cross was designed as a self-contained town with barracks, a hospital, a school, a marketplace, and banking facilities.

It was located inland, in a fertile region, far from both the sea and potential invasion routes, which made escape or returning to France difficult.

Prisoners were transported from the ports of Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn, Wisbech and Boston to Yaxley, Stanground or Peterborough, and then marched the few miles to the camp.

It was believed that up to 2,000 former combatants were buried at the site, including French and Belgian soldiers and some of the British troops that guarded the campsite.

Norman Cross was revamped with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Historic England boosted new developments at the site.

The park trust said it was continuing to explore options for expanding the online and on-site information, to offer more regular volunteer-led guided walks to visitors.

Nene Park Trust had been developing plans to enable visits to the site while ensuring the land was farmed sympathetically to preserve the archaeological remains

Matthew Bradbury, chief executive of Nene Park Trust, said: "The purchase of Norman Cross brings an exciting opportunity for the trust to expand our work to conserve and interpret some of the most significant historic sites across Peterborough.

"We look forward to welcoming visitors and telling them the story of this fascinating site."

Sarah Wilson, heritage manager at Peterborough Museum, said: "The development and new interpretation of the Norman Cross site is a fantastic opportunity to use the groundbreaking research into the Napoleonic prison of war work at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery.

"We are excited to explore opportunities to bring to life the story of the camp for residents, visitors, and generations to come."