Following the launch of trove.scot in February 2025 we are now planning the retiral of some of our webservices. Canmore will be switched off on 24th June 2025. Information about the closure can be found on the HES website: Retiral of HES web services | Historic Environment Scotland
Ironhurst, Prisoner Of War Camp
Prisoner Of War Camp (First World War)
Site Name Ironhurst, Prisoner Of War Camp
Classification Prisoner Of War Camp (First World War)
Canmore ID 332983
Site Number NY07SE 55
NGR NY 05588 72238
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/332983
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Mouswald
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Nithsdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
A First World War prisoner of war camp is listed as 'Ironhurst, Ruthwell, Dumfries' in the 1919 'List of Places of Internment' in Britain, its colonies and dominions. It is described as a work camp under Stobs, the chief camp of the PoW system in Scotland. German soldiers, other than officers and senior NCOs, could be put to work that did not directly further the prosecution of the war.
Ironshurst is the name of a group of buildings adjacent to the railway line from Dumfries to Carlisle. The inter-war 1:63,360 map shows railway sidings, works buildings and a mineral railway running to Ironhirst Moss, possibly representing a peat-cutting operation. These features do not appear on the 2nd epoch map, but part of the mineral line is marked on the 3rd epoch map (surveyed 1947). It is possible that the prisoner of war camp either served a peat-works or accommodated men working on nearby farms.
Information from HS/RCAHMS World War One Audit Project (GJB) 22 October 2013.
Project (March 2013 - September 2013)
A project to characterise the quantity and quality of the Scottish resource of known surviving remains of the First World War. Carried out in partnership between Historic Scotland and RCAHMS.
