Prisoner of War Camp

Moota started life as a World War Two prisoner of war camp in 1942.

A thousand German and Italian prisoners were kept at Moota.

After the war the camp was used to house 'Displaced Persons', who were mainly Eastern Europeans who could not, or did not wish to, return to the communist countries of their origin. Eventually many were allowed to stay, and the descendants of some still live in the local area with many staying on after the war, marrying local girls and settling into West Cumbrian society.

There is sad mention of the suicide of two of these young men because of their perceived hopeless situation. An article about the sad events during the 'Displaced Persons' era of the Moota camp can be read by following the link below:-

https://2ndww.blogspot.com/2009/04/father-mccann-and-moota-ymca-hostel_16.html

Websites giving further interesting details about the Moota camp can be seen via the links below:-

http://www.cockermouth.org.uk/history/mootachapel.htm

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKCCC/bulletins/289c8d1

There was a 2005 article in the West Cumberland Times and Star about the POW camp which can be seen by use of the link below:-

https://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/17063312.moota-demolition-will-sever-link-with-history/

Moota was later converted into a turkey farm and then into one of the first motels in Cumbria which closed a few years ago. A garden centre occupies part of the site, and more of it is occupied by a holiday park.

There remain a few buildings from the Prisoner of War camp era in the garden centre which now occupies the site. Some of the current garden centre buildings are converted prison huts. The picture below shows one such building which has not been altered much externally.

But the prisoners left their mark on Moota. They left behind them some beautiful wall paintings and a chapel with religious paintings and Biblical quotations, in German, on the walls.

Unfortunately it has been said that, the paintings were destroyed by somebody with anti-German feelings.