Eden Camp was built to house German and Italian Prisoners of war and one of the huts is set up to show what conditions were like for them.
Prisoners were housed 64 to a block. With warm sleeping accommodation and plenty of food, conditions were much better than for British prisoners held by German, Italian or Japanese captors, No-one made a serious attempt to escape from the camp.
Prisoners were identified by the yellow diamond on the back of their uniform.
There was a morning and evening roll call, although others could take place unexpectedly during the day. The prisoners provided their own cooks, dentists, doctor, tailer and even a shoe repairer. There was a hut for washing which had heated pipes to dry clothes. Another hut was used as a theatre and the prisoners formed their own orchestra. They also had a football team and played against local teams from the surrounding area, Many prisoners took a pride in their surroundings and grew flowers and vegetables outside their huts.
Many were skilled craftsmen and spent their time making beautifully carved cigarette cases as well as wooden toys, especially pecking hens. There was a ready market for items made, not only in the camp, but also the surrounding area.
