Warcop Training Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Warcop Training Area |
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| Warcop | |
Mickle Fell
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 Warcop Training Area
Location within Cumbria
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| Coordinates | 54°37′02″N 02°22′53″W / 54.61722°N 2.38139°W |
| Type | Training Area |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1942-Present |
The Warcop Training Area (WTA) is a special place in the UK where the military practices and trains. It's owned by the Ministry of Defence, which is the government department in charge of the country's armed forces. This large area is located near the village of Warcop in Cumbria.
It's part of the wider Defence Training Estate, which includes many training sites across the UK. Warcop Training Area is huge, covering about 24,000 acres (that's like 12,000 football fields!). Soldiers use this land to learn and practice important skills.
What is the History of Warcop Training Area?
The Warcop Training Area was first set up in 1942, during World War II. It was originally used as a place for tanks to practice shooting their guns. Even today, tanks still use this area for training exercises.
Over the years, the training area has seen many different types of military activities. Safety is always a top priority during these exercises. Sometimes, accidents can happen during training. For example, in 1944, a Short Stirling bomber plane crashed on Mickle Fell during a training flight. More recently, in 1999 and 2014, there were training accidents involving soldiers and military vehicles. These events remind everyone how important it is to follow safety rules during military training.
What Does the Training Area Cover?
The Warcop Training Area includes several hills and fells. Some of these are Little Fell (745 meters high) and Mickle Fell (790 meters high). Other fells in the area include Burton Fell, Warcop Fell, Cronkley Fell, and part of Murton Fell.
Most of this training area is located in Cumbria, a county in northwest England. However, a small part of it also stretches into County Durham. The entire area is very beautiful and is part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This means it's a special landscape protected for its natural beauty. About two-thirds of the area is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which means it's important for its wildlife or geology.
How Does the Army Use Warcop?
The Warcop Training Area is a very busy place! It's used almost every day of the week, six and a half days, for military training. Soldiers from the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick Garrison come here to train.
Other parts of the regular British Army and the Army Reserves also use the Warcop Training Camp. The camp has special facilities to help soldiers practice different skills. For example, it has its own assault course, which is a challenging obstacle course. There's also a zip line, which soldiers might use for training exercises. This area helps soldiers prepare for many different situations they might face.
