Military training camp, near Hawick, used in First World War given monument status
A former military training area in the Borders, used during the First World War, has been designated as a scheduled monument.
Stobs Camp, near Hawick, spans seven kilometres and was used to hold prisoners of war, and for trench warfare training.
It is home to the last First World War prisoner of war accommodation hut still in its original location in the UK.
The camp was also used up to and during the Korean War as a tank target range.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) was asked last year to consider designating parts of the site as a scheduled monument.
Following an assessment and public consultation, it found the site is of national importance due to its significant contribution to the understanding of military heritage in Scotland.
Dara Parsons, HES head of designations, said: "Stobs Camp is an outstanding monument to Scotland's role in the two great conflicts of the 20th century.
"It gives us a unique insight into the experience of those involved in these conflicts; those that served in the British military, civilian internees and prisoners of war.
"We're delighted to have had such a positive response to our proposal. Designating a site as a scheduled monument helps to recognise what is most special and ensures that significance informs long-term management for future generations."
The Stobs Estate was purchased by the war office in 1902, with the aim of having a permanent training base and barracks for one of the army corps.
Within months of its creation, nearly 20,000 troops had been through the camp, making it larger than the population of Hawick at the time.
The public consultation received 90 responses, which were overwhelmingly in support of HES’s proposal to schedule Stobs Camp and associated sites.
The area that has been designated as a Scheduled Monument covers much of the camp remains. These survive as buildings, upstanding features such as hut bases and earthworks, and also as buried archaeology.
The scheduling recognises the significance of the site and ensures that what is important is taken into account in the long term management of the site.
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Dianne Swift, Development Manager at Archaeology Scotland, added: “Since 2016 Archaeology Scotland have supported investigation and learning about Stobs Camp with members of both local and global communities.
"Its designation as a Scheduled Monument will help raise awareness of the important work they have delivered and ensure the stories relating to Stobs Camp are more widely known.”
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