Redesdale Camp

Redesdale Camp was an army training area to the north-west of Rochester in upper Redesdale, established in 1911 and now part of the larger Otterburn Training Area. The War Office, the government body responsible for the British Army at that time, was wanting to enhance artillery training and tactics in the aftermath of the Boer War. A strongly held local legend has it that, after staying with Lord Redesdale at Birdhopecraig Hall for a shooting holiday, Winston Churchill said that the moorland here would be better used for shooting much bigger guns. Subsequently, the War Office purchesed the Hall and about 3,000 acres of the Birdhopecraig Estate. Redesdale Camp played an important role in preparing soldiers for action on the Western Front during the First World War. The Camp was expanded significantly during the Second World War. In 2008, Redesdale Camp was incorporated into the broader Otterburn Camp (Otterburn Training Area) - after which, some of the buildings at Redesdale were demolished.