The return of the Campsite from the War Department seems to have been subject to dispute
1946: The third site was set up at the rear of the Hall on what is now the National Trust Car Park, entrance next to the canal bridge.
17 July 1946 : King George V! and Queen took luncheon at Dunham Massey Hall
Unknown date: Altrincham District granted a site for a district campsite, on a field between the park and the canal with access from the track to Bollington Mill.
This continued until the 1960’s when one Sunday afternoon, the canal burst its banks and emptied across the campsite, into the River Bollin. This resulted in two years of work to reinstate the canal – and Altrincham District moving elsewhere (Tabley?)
1944: Princess Mary came to Dunham Massey Hall. She stayed from 21st – 24th June 1944 and went to the Scout Camp on the evening of Friday 23rd.
(Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary; 25 April 1897 – 28 March 1965), was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sister of kings Edward VIII and George VI, and aunt of the current British Monarch, Elizabeth II)
1976: Death of Roger Grey, 10th Earl of Stamford who left Dunham Massey Hall and estate in its entirety to the National Trust. At the time, the 3000-acre estate, the house and all its contents made Lord Stamford’s bequest the largest in Trust history.
National Trust wanted to use the land leased to the Scouts, to be the visitors’ car park.
So the Scouts moved to the current campsite – a rectangular farmer’s field – later planted up to create ten smaller camping areas. Early buildings had water and gas only – no electricity.
The fourth site was opened by “a Scout” in 1980 – the youngest Scout on the day of the special camp – Colin Evison of 9th Sale Scouts.
Further developments over the past 43 years
Devisdale Conservation area
See https://www.trafford.gov.uk/planning/strategic-planning/docs/June2015ConsultationDocuments/caa-the-devisdale-draft-2015.pdf for an overview of the area: the “Boy Scout” Hall is shown on map 10 on page 28.
Dunham Forest Golf & Country Club
It is difficult to believe that as recently as 1960, this splendid course was little more than a collection of huts and a concrete parade ground. The original 90 acres had been used by the US army and as an Italian prisoner of war camp. The land needed to be reclaimed.
The 14th Hole passes over the Underground Reservoir https://www.dunhamforest.com/golf/