Hut 9, Island Farm

Hidden on the outskirts of Bridgend, Hut 9 at Island Farm is one of the most remarkable Second World War sites in Britain. The hut is the last surviving building from the former prisoner-of-war camp known as Camp 198, which later became Special Camp XI and housed high-ranking German officers. Today, it stands as a unique museum dedicated to an extraordinary chapter of wartime history. The site is best known for the dramatic "Great Escape" of March 1945, when 70 German prisoners tunnelled out from Hut 9 in what became the largest escape attempt by German POWs in Britain during the war. Visitors can learn how the tunnel was secretly constructed beneath the camp and discover the ingenious methods used to hide the excavated soil from guards. Inside the hut, carefully recreated rooms bring the wartime camp vividly to life. Period furnishings, military artefacts, documents and interpretive displays help visitors understand the daily routines of prisoners and guards. Guided tours explore the camp's history, the escape plot and the role Island Farm played during and after the war. A particularly fascinating aspect of the exhibition is its focus on the people behind the story.