In 1933, a training camp for unemployed men was established here. The residents of the camp were taught draining, fencing and road-making skills. During the World War II, the camp was put to various uses. Between 1939 and 1941, it housed lumberjacks from Newfoundland in Canada. Between 1941 and 1945, injured naval personnel were sent there to recover. By 1947, the camp was being used as a labour camp for Polish workers. The camp eventually became a Forestry Commission depot, until it was submerged by the Kielder Reservoir in 1980. Photos of the camp can be seen at the Northumberland Record Office.