Description

 was given formal permission from the base commandant to visit and photograph for the purposes of this project Wilcott Camp, Kinnerley and Acksea Camps at Nesscliffe.

This is an Active Military Camp used to train members of the UK Armed Forces. The camp trains a small workforce of Military and Civilian Staff who host visiting units. Whilst the camp has an indoor and a small outdoor military firing range the actual weapons ire during the training exercises held at the camp are done with blank ammunition. The site is effectively divided into two separate areas:

• The Accommodation and Technical Site
• Active Training Area

The location given for the Wilcott Camp corresponds to the Domestic and Technical side of the Nesscliffe Training Ranges in that it is where the Administration, Stores, Accommodation and Messing etc…

The buildings used for this site are the original Nissen and Accommodation huts interspersed with the odd larger version of the Nissen hut and Portacabin. In fact, there are few if any building in this part of the camp that do not date back to WWII. Most of the buildings are in a high state of repair although some could do with being pained the scene is very much as it would have been in WWII with the exception of the occasional Coke Machine and the presence of modern doors and windows fitted to a number of the buildings. In short, this site has been very well preserved and would only take the construction of a fence to turn back the clock to resurrect the war time camp.

I took several photos in and around this part of the camp with no restrictions as there were no exercises in progress. However, although I would have like to have made use of my Drone, this was NOT allowed as the camp is used as training landing area for RAF Shawbury the main UK Helicopter Training Unit.