Harperley Working Camp, World War II prisoner of war camp at Craigside

Scheduled area

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History & significance

Harperley Working Camp is a World War II prisoner of war facility located near Craigside in Durham, England. The camp was constructed during the Second World War to house prisoners of war, primarily German and Italian internees who were employed in essential labour within the region. The surviving structures comprise a series of barrack buildings and associated camp infrastructure arranged within a defined perimeter, representing the physical layout of a working camp rather than a major detention facility. As a substantially preserved example of wartime prisoner accommodation, Harperley demonstrates the widespread network of labour camps that supported the British war effort and provides material evidence of the everyday conditions experienced by internees during 1939-1945.

Harperley Working Camp, World War II prisoner of war camp at Craigside is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1020730. View the official record →

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