A lesser-known chapter in history is the numerous squatters’ camps that emerged across the country after the end of the Second World War, one of which was situated on what is now part of the Rising Sun Country Park site.
During the summer of 1946, thousands of families began to illegally occupy various disused military camps throughout the country. On 14th August 1946, eleven families moved into one such camp located on the Old Coast Road (now Whitley Road) in Longbenton, specifically on land just south of the current ASDA. Newspaper accounts from that time suggest that this camp had previously housed German POWs.
By the end of August 1946, more than a thousand abandoned army camps had been occupied by up to 40,000 people across England and Wales, with an additional 4,000 in Scotland. Local councils accepted the presence of these ‘squatters’, providing them with water, electricity, and refuse collection services. However, some councils chose not to prioritise them for the new housing that was being built.
In the NTC park offices, there is a model of one of the camp huts, crafted and donated by a former resident who lived there as a child. He recalled approximately 200 wooden huts with tin roofs; the windows lacked glass and were simply covered with curtains. Water was sourced from a shared outdoor pump, where a pail of water cost one penny. Water heated for cooking, washing was done using a coal fire bucket. Lighting was provided by candles, and the huts were prone to catching fire, with at least two huts reportedly being completely destroyed by fire.
Share Your Memories: We are eager to learn more about this Squatters Camp. If you have any additional information or stories to share, please get in touch with us.