Birk Wood

Viewed from a ridge over the Barnes Burn, this small equipment drying building was adjacent to the 'bathing pond' - now occupied by scrub and reeds, the periphery of which can be noted to the bottom right. For a close up of the building, see NT5009 : Near Stobs Camp Bathing Pond

A bleak place, once a hive of military activity.

A view across the camp site, with concrete foundations prominent in the foreground.

One of two remaining equipment drying buildings at the former camp site.

A view out of a drying building window across the remains of the camp site. For an external view of the building, see NT4909 : Drying Building

A set of brick and concrete foundations, just one of many at the former camp site.

This tarmac road provides access to Winningtonrig Farm, above the camp site.

Probable camp buildings now utilised as farm storage at the top of the former Stobs Camp site.

A junction at the top of the Stobs Camp site.

Three octagonal tanks and several rectangular tanks remain near the top of the site: it is unclear what these tanks contained.

Located next to some tanks near the top of the site, the function of this building is unknown.

The track up from Barns passes through shelter belts here.

The breach in the earthen dam wall and standing behind, the remains of the filter building. In the foreground, the Barnes Burn can be noted.

Long since redundant, the filter house stands proud above the breached earthen dam wall.

Looking down the Barnes Burn towards the site of Stobs Camp.

An access road to the former camp. The vehicles just in view R of centre are probably associated with installation of a new power line crossing the area.

Compare with James Towill's photograph NT5009 : Near Stobs Camp Bathing Pond taken 10 years ago. The camp was on land bought from Stobs Estate in 1902 and was in use for military training and later for internment of Prisoners of War in WW1. Prisoners were housed in 80 huts capable of accommodating 4,500 men in total. A bakery, post office, hospital, mortuary and workshops were among the camp’s facilities and the POWs produced a newspaper ‘Stobsiade’. The camp’s role declined in the 1920s until it was used for limited training in WW2. Postwar resettlement of Polish troops and Territorial Army training took place until the camp closed in the late 1950s. The camp’s history has been investigated recently by the Stobs Camp Project under Archaeology Scotland with local volunteers, with much material on their website Link including the booklet ‘Stobs Camp Project’ from which the above details have been taken.

The camp area had a network of roads between the huts, here on the side of Winningtonrig above the Barnes Burn. The camp was on land bought from Stobs Estate in 1902 and was in use for military training and later for internment of Prisoners of War in WW1. Prisoners were housed in 80 huts capable of accommodating 4,500 men in total. A bakery, post office, hospital, mortuary and workshops were among the camp’s facilities and the POWs produced a newspaper ‘Stobsiade’. The camp’s role declined in the 1920s until it was used for limited training in WW2. Postwar resettlement of Polish troops and Territorial Army training took place until the camp closed in the late 1950s. The camp’s history has been investigated recently by the Stobs Camp Project under Archaeology Scotland with local volunteers, with much material on their website The camp was on land bought from Stobs Estate in 1902 and was in use for military training and later for internment of Prisoners of War in WW1. Prisoners were housed in 80 huts capable of accommodating 4,500 men in total. A bakery, post office, hospital, mortuary and workshops were among the camp’s facilities and the POWs produced a newspaper ‘Stobsiade’. The camp’s role declined in the 1920s until it was used for limited training in WW2. Postwar resettlement of Polish troops and Territorial Army training took place until the camp closed in the late 1950s. The camp’s history has been investigated recently by the Stobs Camp Project under Archaeology Scotland with local volunteers, with much material on their website Link including the booklet ‘Stobs Camp Project’ from which the above details have been taken.