The Warcop Training Area (WTA) is a UK Ministry of Defence military training area near the village of Warcop in Cumbria. Part of the Defence Training Estate, the area consists of approximately of MoD freehold land.Ministry of Defence - Defence Estate and Environment, What we do(website accessed: 26 August 2010)
History
The training estate was established in 1942 originally as a tank gunnery range and tanks still use it to this day.English Heritage - Warcop Training Area National Mapping Programme (NMP)(Website accessed: 26 August 2010)
On 19 October 1944 a Short Stirling bomber (LK 488), crashed on Mickle Fell whilst on a training flight from its base at RAF Wratting Common in Cambridgeshire; of the seven crew, only one survived.
On 22 April 1999 a soldier died when a grenade exploded in his pocket.
On 4 June 2014, one soldier died and two others were injured in a training accident when a military vehicle rolled over.
Coverage of the training area Within the training area are Little Fell (745m) and Mickle Fell (790mStreetmap, Warcop Training Area (Website accessed:26 August 2010)), Burton Fell, Warcop Fell, Cronkley Fell and part of Murton Fell.
Most of the training area is in Cumbria but a portion is County Durham. The area forms part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and about two-thirds of the area falls inside the Appleby Fells Site of Special Scientific Interest.Cumbria County Council - Access on MOD Warcop training area (Website accessed: 26 August 2010)Appleby Fells SSSI map, MagicMap, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Army use Warcop Training Area is used six and a half days a week by the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick Garrison, other regular British Army and Army Reserves using the Warcop Training Camp.
References