BY ALLISON LEE
Spook-tacular mystery and detective fun for families at Eden Camp
Eden Camp, near Malton in North Yorkshire, is the only remaining prisoner of war camp in Britain. It was built in 1942 and the original huts have been preserved and turned into immersive and engaging displays.
The huts have been re-equipped to tell the story of The People’s War, the social history of life in Britain from 1939 to 1945 and feature a Blitz experience in Hut 5.
Eden Camp received £224,000 in funding from North Yorkshire Council from the £16.9 million UK Shared Prosperity Funding allocated to North Yorkshire, which was used to restore the original POW huts built in 1942.
The collection at Eden Camp includes historic military vehicles, thousands of military items and has an archive collection with over 103,000 documents, artifacts and photographs.
Throughout the year, Eden Camp offers experiences aimed at families and this year they have planned a ‘spook-tacular’ event during October half term. Running from 25th October until 2nd November, Eden Camp’s Halloween programme is offering a week of fun-filled activities for curious minds and invites visitors to take part in the Code Cracker Spy Trail which allows children to become detectives for the day! Armed with a mission pack, families will explore the museum in search of hidden clues to solve the mystery of who stole the top-secret tank plans. Those who successfully crack the code will be rewarded with a prize from Eden Camp’s shop!
Alongside the trail, Eden Camp will also host the Fingerprint Detectives Workshop, a hands-on activity where children can learn how to collect, analyse, and compare fingerprints. They will discover what makes each fingerprint unique and how investigators use this knowledge to solve mysteries. The workshop combines learning with fun, giving young visitors the chance to experience the excitement of problem-solving in a practical and engaging way.
Nick Hill, Museum Manager at Eden Camp, said: “Half-term at Eden Camp is a fantastic opportunity for families to get involved in fun and interactive activities, and to experience the museum in a hands-on way. Whether you’re a regular visitor or you are coming for the first time with children, you’ll leave with new skills, great memories, and a sense of achievement from solving the mysteries together.”
For more information and to book tickets visit https://edencamp.co.uk/whats-on/october-half-term-fun-at-eden-camp/
Allison Lee is a smallholder from North Yorkshire who has written for the Yorkshire Times and other publications. Her website can be accessed here.