Twizzlelehope, I m not an old sweat as such, however I am a local to that area and was brought up there. Barford Camp one of several camps around, what only a dwindling group of people will know, the town of Barnard Castle, is the only camp that still stands to some extent. Deerbolt became a correctional facility for young offenders, outside it stands an FV432 in Berlin Colours the training area of deep dale with range and assault course to the side is long overgrown and only a few people will know what the strange brick work and butts actually is normally frequented by dog walkers, I played here as a child with mates looking for old bullets still to be found around the range in the early nineties.
Humbleton was completely knocked down and is now a wood by the side of the road leading to Darlington although the track of the camp is still there. Streatlam which I believe was the original Infantry Training Centre is now a farm owned by the family of an old friend who used to come with us on adventures to the old camps. Streatlam is used for Festivals such as a truck festival and Steam Traction Engine Rally. Stainton Camp is still military to some extent. It is owned by Durham ACF and is a county training centre where I used to be a cadet. The centre is new but the old assault course is partially still there as is the Romnet hut and many buildings around it that are either owned by the local council or traders for an industrial estate. There used to be a small TA unit there which was RAMC but it has long since gone.
There is various bits of hard standing and the old building in a field that is now owned by farmers, the hard standing for the fuelling area before Humbleton is still there as well
So to Barford, its now a banger racing track which loops around the old buildings. The gate guard which I never saw but was told about has long gone but when i went there in the nineties I recognise your Avatar as one that was still on the wall in the guard room. The little prison and jails were there. It had been used by reenactors and Northern Ireland training so there was lots of loose ammo and slogans on walls. we camped in the cinema projection room and mucked about in the old camp hospital which has now been bulldozed. So if you take a trip that way you can still see Barford and there maybe one or two women you may remember from pubs like the Beaconsfield (the Montalbo is now history).
My very good friend is a chap called Terry Walker who you may have served with at Barford as he was in 2 RA and at Barford Camp at the same time as you. He filled in the gaps in knowledge on Barford when I was a young cadet.
Hope that helps
