Anzio Army Training Camp

Anzio Army Training Camp is located near Leek in Staffordshire.

The camp was first used by the American army in 1943 for an anti-aircraft battalion. It was taken over in 1945/6 by Polish troops at the end of World War II and remained in polish control and slowly became a civilian settlement with housing estates being built for the Polish families. The Polish stayed until 1963 and the camps nissen huts fell in disuse. Eventually this was demolished and turned into farm land.

Todays camp was built on a new site in 1980, opened in 1983, close to the old camp with modern facilities. The Ministry Of Defence built this for training troops from the Army and Territorial Army in the rugged countryside around the camp. With 2000 acres in the Peak District this camp was the largest in the West Midlands and could house up to 800 troops.

Anzio Training Camp closed in 2004 as it became surplus to MOD requirements, it became derelict after the Army abandoned the site. Buildings were then broken into and metal thieves started work.

The site was sold to developers who wanted to transform the site into a retirement village but planning permission was denied. This was then sold on again and planning permission was again refused.

The training camp is now in poor shape with vandalism taking its toll.