Pioneering concrete techniques and products have been piloted during vital repair's to huts built by prisoners of war over 80 years ago.

The huts which house the visitor experience at Eden Camp in Old Malton were built by the Italian prisoners in 1942 as makeshift accommodation, which was only predicted to last for up to 10 years.

They have exceeded their lifespan by over 80 years and were in need of urgent repair.

Thanks to £230,000 of the £16.9 million Shared Prosperity Funding allocated to North Yorkshire vital repairs were carried out in order to restore and preserve the huts, protecting them against further weather damage and deterioration.

As well as repairs and replacements to windows and doors, hut roofs have been replaced where needed, while the concrete frameworks of the huts have been replaced and restored to ensure their longevity and durability.

Nick Hill, Museum Manager at Eden Camp, said: “We are passionate about keeping history alive for future generations, and the SPF money has meant we were able to carry out these repairs in a relatively short time; much of the work involved the use of heritage skills to maintain the huts’ authenticity.

“We strongly believe in sourcing as much as possible locally, so it’s great that the work itself has been delivered by businesses in the surrounding area.”

A wide range of construction and building companies were involved in the work:

Windows & doors

• Norton Joinery

• P.Pearson Joinery

• DP Decorating Solutions

• Pronto Paints

Hut Roof Replacements

• Mitchell Roofing Ltd

• David Thomson Future Tech Roofing Ltd

• Ask Scaffolding

Concrete Structures

• Composites Construction UK (CCUK) concrete repairs

• Sika UK Concrete Technology Products

The huts at Eden Camp house a multitude of information and genuine artefacts from WWII, all set out in such a way to encourage learning and showcase our history using immersive techniques to create engaging displays and exhibitions.

To learn more about Eden Camp, visit www.edencamp.co.uk