Portuguese Fireplace facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Portuguese Fireplace

The Portuguese Fireplace
Coordinates	50°52′08.36″N 001°37′26.81″W / 50.8689889°N 1.6241139°W / 50.8689889; -1.6241139
Location	New Forest United Kingdom

The Portuguese Fireplace is a special monument in the New Forest National Park in England. It's a war memorial that helps us remember important events from World War I. You can find it near the village of Lyndhurst, close to Millyford Bridge. People sometimes call it the Canadian Fireplace too. This is because the Canadian Forestry Corps also used the area.

What is the Portuguese Fireplace?

The Portuguese Fireplace is what remains of a large outdoor kitchen. This kitchen was part of a camp used during World War I. Soldiers from Portugal and Canada lived and worked here. They helped to cut down trees for the war effort.

A Special Plaque Explains It All

Next to the fireplace, there is a plaque. This plaque tells us the story of the site. It explains that a Portuguese army unit stayed here. They helped cut timber because many local workers were away fighting.

A plaque tells the story of the Portuguese Fireplace.

The plaque says: "This is the site of a hutted camp occupied by a Portuguese army unit during the first World War. This unit assisted the depleted local labour force in producing timber for the war effort. The Forestry Commission have retained the fireplace from the cookhouse as a memorial to the men who lived and worked here and acknowledge the financial assistance of the Portuguese government in its renovation."

The Forestry Commission kept the fireplace as a memorial. It honors the men who lived and worked there. The Portuguese government also helped pay for its repair.

Why Was the Camp Needed During World War I?

During World War I, England needed a lot of wood. This wood was used for many things, like building trenches. But many local workers were fighting in the war. This meant there weren't enough people to cut down trees.

Help Arrives from Canada

So, in 1916, the British government asked Canada for help. They needed skilled lumbermen to cut timber. Canada quickly agreed to send workers. These Canadian workers brought their own tools. They set up camps in England to start working.

Portuguese Workers Join the Effort

Later, in 1917–1918, Portuguese workers also came to help. They worked alongside the Canadians. The camp was quite large, about 4 to 5 acres in size. It had many buildings for the workers.

Life at the Camp

The camp was like a small village. It had sleeping huts, a kitchen, and a dining hall. There were also washrooms, a laundry, and even a small hospital. Guards watched the camp at wooden and barbed wire gates. Electricity was also available in the camp.

At its busiest, about 100 Portuguese and 200 Canadian workers lived there. They built small railways to move the cut timber faster. The Canadians were better prepared for the weather. The Portuguese workers sometimes struggled with the cold.

Food and Different Needs

The camp had to make special arrangements for food. The Portuguese workers needed different foods than the Canadians. They ate a lot of fish, bread, and vegetables. Eventually, it was found that Finnish workers and prisoners of war were best for timber work. The Portuguese workers were then used for other tasks.