Shortly after the start of World War 2, the North End of Walney Island was requisitioned by the War Ministry, to be used as a training area for the RAF. Camps to house and train the personnel were erected at several locations in and around north of Mill Lane, but when peace was declared in 1945, these camps were abandoned.
The air-raids on Hindpool had left many families homeless. In those days large families were commonplace. This plus the fact that the immediate post-war years saw a baby-boom, meant that many houses were overcrowded. The abandonment of the camps provided a ready made opportunity for people, many of whom had little money, to have a roof over their heads. And so, in 1946, what became known as "The Squatters Huts", (a misnomer since all tenants paid a rent to the Town Hall), came into being. These sites provided a stop-gap between the end of the war and the early 1950's
In the middle of every site, there was a pond. The ponds, originally used for firefighting, over the years attracted all forms of wildlife, principally amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts.
The decision to build a huge estate in the area between Central Drive and Earnse Bay signaled the end of the 'Huts'. The bulldozers began leveling the earth in the area south of Mill Lane, Where Tyne Road and Trent Vale now lie, and gradually the tenants were relocated. By 1956, all had gone.
For more information on these sites, see the Related Site link near the top of the cache page.