Hodgemoor – Polish Camp
In 1946, many Polish people who had served alongside Allied forces were offered resettlement in the UK by the British Government. Because of the housing shortage at the time, many of these servicemen and women brought their families to live in temporary camps around the country. Here at Hodgemoor Wood, you can still see traces from that time.

A teacher guides her students to Constitution Day celebrations in the Camp
From 1946 to 1962, the area was home to one of the Polish Resettlement Camps for Polish soldiers and their families. These were former members of the 3rd Carpathian Division, who had fought alongside the Allies during World War II and who, unable to return to Soviet-occupied Poland, remained in Britain after the war. The camp, located between Amersham and Beaconsfield, became a vibrant community. The 600 residents lived in a mix of prefabricated buildings, including Nissen huts, which housed not only families but also a church, a community hall, a school, and even a pub.
One of the important days which kept the residents in touch with their traditions was the celebration of Constitution Day, which falls on 3 May, and commemorates the 1791 signing of the Polish Constitution, the first of its kind in Europe. Banned by the Nazi regime during WWII and afterwards by the Soviets, the residents of the Hodgemoor camp would have finally had the freedom to mark the day. Constitution Day was a central celebration for fostering cultural pride and unity among the displaced Polish families living there.
On Constitution Day, children at the Polish school, under the guidance of their dedicated teachers, prepared performances highlighting Poland’s rich history and traditions. The school prioritised maintaining Polish identity and language, making events like these a cornerstone of their cultural education. Students recited poems, sang patriotic songs, and participated in plays dramatising the historical significance of the 1791 Constitution. Traditional Polish music played an essential part in the day’s events, uniting people of all ages in celebration. Residents also prepared traditional dishes, despite the challenges of post-war rationing, further connecting the day’s commemorations to Polish customs.
For many Polish families, the resettlement camp at Hodgemoor became their home in exile, where they could maintain Polish traditions, language, and religious practices. You can see the memorial plaque nearby which commemorates the Polish community that lived there. This historical connection resonates with the broader Polish diaspora, who continue to celebrate Polish Constitution Day in the UK as a way of honouring their heritage and acknowledging their place in both Polish and British histories. The Polish Club in nearby Amersham, which grew from these post-war settlements, remains a hub for Polish cultural life.
You can learn more about the Camp and the people who called it home here and here.

Heritage Trails
This is one of four ‘Routes to the Past’ circular walks, made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. You can find the other trails on the main Chilterns Interactive Map, under routes.
Each trail has four waymarkers with unique stories to tell – Find the other Hodgemoor Wood trail markers and scan their stories at the locations shown here.
