By BRIAN TILLEY brian.tilley@hexham-courant.co.uk

Last updated 09:37, Friday, 22 August 2008

Tynedale’s place in history as the cradle of Scouting movement was further cemented this week.

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Scout historian: Colin Walker with the book he has written about the movement.

For Scouts from across the world descended on the district to mark the 100th anniversary of the first official Scout camp on the fells above Fourstones,

And fittingly, an international Scouting Jamboree was held within a few hundred yards of that first camp at Carr Edge.

As well as staging the first official Scout camp, Tynedale is also internationally known for two other pioneering achievements.

The troop at Wark was the first to accept girls as members, and the Scout camp at Hawkhirst at Kielder is the biggest in Europe.

Scouts from a wide area gathered at Greencarts, Humshaugh, to enjoy a week of fun and games and Scouting activities, including water sports at Kielder.

Rather than being mainstream Scouts, these were the Baden-Powell Scouts, who stick strictly to the traditions established by Baden-Powell himself.

They still wear the broad-brimmed hats and shorts favoured by the Mafeking hero.

The week-long series of activities have ranged from rock climbing to canoeing, and from walking to craft based activities, culminating with a walk to the Scouts cairn at Carr Edge tomorrow.

Authenticity was lent to the centenary camp by the fact that most of it was spent under a downpour, as was the original!

The jamboree is being supported by Northumberland National Park Authority. The park’s community enterprise officer, Colin Earnshaw, said: “We are delighted the Baden-Powell Scouts are here to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Baden-Powell campsite at Carr Edge, and we are very pleased to have been able to assist the organisers to achieve their ambition.

“It is wonderful to see so many Scouts of different nationalities enjoying the spectacular landscape that the national park has to offer, and we hope they will remember their time here in Northumberland and return to visit us again in the future.”

The mainstream Scouts are also marking the occasion in style, with Haltwhistle Community Partnership staging an exhibition of Scouting history at the former Clive Brown’s shop in the town centre, open every day from 10am to 5pm.

The county had a superb centenary celebration camp for 1,500 Scouts in May, but all of the effort that went into it meant that there wasn’t a team available to put on a large-scale event at the Lookwide Cairn in the week of the anniversary.

However, a series of events are being planned over the next month.

It will be exactly 100 years and one day on Sunday, August 31, since Baden-Powell marched his Scouts to Hexham Abbey for a service led by Canon Sidney Savage.

The present Rector of Hexham, Canon Graham Usher, is a former assistant county Scouts commissioner, and has sat on the Scout Association’s governing body.

He will base his sermon on Baden-Powell’s visit.

The Hadrian District Scouts – which covers most of Tynedale – will hold its centenary birthday party on Sunday, September 21.

The following Saturday, a dozen visitors from Australia will be staying at Dilston Scout Camp, and will also be visiting the Lookwide Cairn with supporters from around the county and beyond.

It is hoped the former Chief Scout, Major General Michael Walsh, will be taking part in their visit.

Birth camp of Scouting – the story of the first Baden-Powell camp – see page 19.