6 replies to this topic

[Paul Granger]

Last Friday's Grantham Journal carried a front-page item, all about Channel 4's Time Team dig at Belton House, the home of the Machine Gun Corps Training centre bwrween 1915 and 1918. The dig will be featured in the new series of Time Team out later this year/early next. I know the grounds of Belton House very well, it's a favourite dog walking area for us, and we also officiate at the annual Horse Trials, and I often wonder just where all the facilities for the MGC school were. Other than a plaque on the gates, there's no immediate evidence of anything, so i'm very much looking forward to the programme when it appears.

[steve morse]

9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters trained there from August 1914 to 5th April 1915.
The whole of the 11th Division trained in the area.
Hopefully some 9th Bn stuff will be unearthed
SM

[Staffsyeoman]

There is nothing visible left of the Great War period. The Camp extended out into the woodlands past the lawns. It was a New Armies training camp before the MGC moved in in late 1915; the RAF Regiment were first based there after their formation in WW2 and 9 Parachute Squadron RE were based there before Arnhem - so the estate was in constant use in the World Wars.

[Charles Fair]

Very interested to hear abot this.  30 Division was there in early 1915 and I have a copy of a map that shows the locations of all three brigades and the 11 South Lancs (St Helens Pioneers).  My great uncle, Carl Champion of that battalion took a number of photos which show the huts in the background.  The pictures include the pioneers digging trenches and building a light railway in the vicinity of the camp.

The forthcoming (scheduled for Nov 2014) book on the 11 S Lancs will, I am sure, feature something about the battalion's time at Belton House.

[Staffsyeoman]

The House does still have quite a few pictures from the time of the bell tents and the increasingly encroaching huts - they were used in a temporary MGC exhibition in the basement I was involved in establishing some five years ago. There was not much enthusiasm (by the House management) to make it more permanent at the time - even though they were helpful, and as many of the artefacts were from our personal collections it would have been difficult.  TT's appearance suggests a change of heart - I've not been involved for a while now. I just hope they are well briefed on later use and don't spend a lot of time scratching their heads on the wrong era..

[FelixM]

If anybody reads this, as part of my recent degree I undertook work on the MGC camp at Belton in conjunction with the National Trust and my university.

As part of this I surveyed some of the earthworks and did some research and wrote a report, by no means is it definitive or a professional piece of work, however it may be of interest to some people.

If it is possible to private message people on this forum, please do so and I can happily forward a PDF file of the report I wrote

[Charles Fair]

Felix, I would be most interested to read a copy please.  PM sent.
Charles