The Portuguese Fireplace Marker Plaque - New Forest, Hampshire, UK
Posted by: 
Dragontree
N 50° 52.139 W 001° 37.445
30U E 596817 N 5636157
An old, unusual remnant with a Historical Marker plaque in the middle of the New Forest National Park.
Waymark Code: WM5H2G
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/06/2009
Views: 12
The Portuguese Fireplace is the only remains of a Portuguese hutted camp. The unit was based here during the First World War and the Portuguese aided the local labour force in producing timber. Numbers locally were very depleted and struggling until they came along.
The fireplace is the only remnant of the camp left and was part of the cookhouse. It is now a memorial to the men who lived and worked here. It has been preserved by the Portuguese government.
The plaque reads as follows:
'PORTUGUESE FIREPLACE
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 THIS 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.'