Billesdon POW camp, Leicestershire

[Goldie87]

Billesdon was a camp for German prisoners of war.
Most of the site is now a nature reserve type area. All that remains of most structures is concrete bases, but one hut remains and is fenced off near the entrance. The camp sewage works also survives and is in reasonable condition.

 

[Mr Sam]

a while back i speant a few evnings on a website and flash earth looking to see if there was any evidence of POW camps leftin Leicestershire, Billesdon looked the most promising but i hadnt had chance togo visit. we parked here as the ROC post is just down the road, quite nice to find they have in a way preserved it and given some information on the site

the only remaining building is padlocked and bricked up, through the window it is totally empty

and for the last one your just going to have to believe me on this as the image screwed up

........a fiberglass pigs head

 

[Foxylady]

Wow, that's the first time I've seen a POW camp. Nice one. Like the sewage works.

Cheers

 

[King Al]

super find, love the sewage works, wouldn't want to fall in that thing in pic 4

 

[BillesdonLad]

I used to play and explore and vandalize the camp as a kid in the late forties and remember when it still held prisoners but the gates were open as the war was over and they were waiting to be repatriated. They used to share their sweets and treats that they received from Red Cross packages, nice chaps, they used to wander the village probably bored to tears.

 

[Hayman]

The hut seen does not look that differnt from the type of 20 men to a room barrack blocks I lived in when a regular soldier in the 1950s-60s. Here the walls are brick, with corrugated asbestos roofing. I lived in either wooden or brick-built accommodation.