Bowmanville POW camp

Bowmanville POW camp is a former detention site for military prisoners in Clarington, Canada, now part of a university campus. The compound spreads across about 260 acres (106 hectares) and holds several buildings, watch towers, barracks quarters, and an indoor pool dating from its military period.

Canadian authorities converted the Bowmanville Boys Training School into a detention center for German officers in 1941 during World War II. After the war ended, the compound served other purposes before receiving recognition as a national historic site.

The compound operated on a pledge system that let detainees move beyond the fences and join organized activities based on their word. This unusual approach shaped daily routines and interaction among those held here in ways uncommon at the time.

Visitors can walk the grounds along the Ehrenwort Trail, which begins at Sprucewood Crescent and passes several preserved structures. Access is generally open, and the path suits families with older children.

The compound is the only fully preserved facility of its kind from World War II still standing in Canada. Its buildings and layout offer a rare window into military architecture from that period.