military barracks

Above Overlooking the remains of Weeley Barracks. Here the northern part of the camp, looking east, is shown; the site’s main road, with buildings on either side, can be seen.

Excavating Weeley Barracks: echoes of the Napoleonic Wars in Essex

In the early years of the 19th century, military camps sprang up along the south coast of England to guard against French invasion. Once the Napoleonic Wars ended, most were dismantled, leaving little trace of this turbulent period – but now archaeological work at Weeley, a small village 11 miles from Colchester, has uncovered the remains of one such site, as Nick Cox reports.