Camphill MK Explorers Visit Weedon Depot

This month, Camphill MK Explorers discovered The Depot in Weedon with Norman and Guimin.

A lady at the visitor centre explained the history of this place. The old depot is a vast compound built in the early 19th century as a military facility to prepare for an anticipated invasion by Napoleon. A canal branch runs through the site’s centre to bring in and out ammunition and supplies. It served as an important military base until the end of the national service.

The site was decommissioned in the 1960s. These days, the remaining buildings have been converted into shops, a cafe, a gym, garages etc, providing livelihood to the locals.

It’s truly a fascinating place to visit!

On the way back, we searched for the Blissworth Tunnel’s north portal. The tunnel was built roughly the same time as the Weedon Depot, nearly 2 miles long. It was vital for the transportation system at the time, as there were no trains, no roads, and no motor vehicles, and goods produced in the north relied on horse-drawn barges to be brought to London.

Ali was very quick to point out that while there was no towpath inside the tunnel, the barges were pushed through by two men lying down and pushing their feet against the tunnel’s side walls. Imagine how hard it would be to do that for nearly two miles!

It was a fantastic trip. We all appreciated the opportunity to learn and improve our understanding of our past.