Back Garden Air Raid Shelters

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Steve G, Dec 7, 2009.

  1. James Daly

    James Daly Senior Member

    I'm reliably informed by my uncle that my great-grandparents house in Telephone Road did have a brick built air raid shelter in the back garden, as did many of the houses in that part of town. Apparently after the war a lot of them were used as sheds/outhouses and I guess thats probably the situation for any that are left nowadays.
     
  2. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    James; They'd certainly make solid ~ if somewhat murky ~ sheds. Only problem with the things is that they have a strong tendency to eat up at least half of an average, Pompey, back garden space! :unsure:
     
  3. James Daly

    James Daly Senior Member

    James; They'd certainly make solid ~ if somewhat murky ~ sheds. Only problem with the things is that they have a strong tendency to eat up at least half of an average, Pompey, back garden space! :unsure:

    that is very true Steve. Portsmouth is still the most densely populated city in the Country - 180,000 odd people on an island thats 6 miles from north to south and maybe 2 or 3 across. Hence some of the smaller terraced houses have tiny gardens as it is. And of course, it was the inner city areas on Portsea Island that needed shelters the most.
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  5. GPRegt

    GPRegt Senior Member

    We had a brick-built shelter at the bottom of the garden when we lived in Hull. It had a concrete steel reinforced blast wall in front of it.

    We have the remains of an Anderson Shelter buried in our back garden.

    Steve W.
     
  6. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

  7. hoolig

    hoolig Member WW2 Veteran

    We had a Morrison shelter in our dining room, it made an excellent table, my Mum spent a lot of time in there she was petrified of airraids.
     
  8. Cookey

    Cookey Junior Member

    I have a flat roof concrete air raid shelter in the garden of my 1930s council house that I'm trying to find out more about. The view from the roof looks across Bristol and we wondered if it might be a wardens shelter so that they could look out for unexploded bombs- from information found on the internet.
    I have photos so will just read information on how to post them here!
     
  9. Cookey

    Cookey Junior Member

    Lets see if this works
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Cookey

    Cookey Junior Member

    Ok - so these should give a better idea of what it looks like. Thanks.
     

    Attached Files:

  11. ChrisR

    ChrisR Senior Member

    Nice photos and great that it does not appear to have been filled with 'domestic overflow'. Is that a peep hole or could it have been where a stove's chimney might have been?

    I see a shelter every day on my way home from work -If anyone goes on the train between Kew Bridge and Chiswick Stations take a look out on the right at the school you go past - as you get to the end of their property there is a little garden with the old school air-raid shelter entrances still visible. Can't spot them on google earth because they're hidden by trees.
     
  12. Drayton

    Drayton Senior Member

    Here is one that was on ebay at the same time I bought mine. I passed on this one as it looked too much work to dig out and could have just been too rusty to re-use as a shed.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    I also passed on this Morrison as a workbench for the garage - just didn't have room - shame.
    [​IMG]
    Just as well you did not buy the "Morrison", because it is not one. The Morrison was two large square steel plates (top and bottom, with steel wire mesh sides, resembling a cage. The object in the picture is nothing like a Morrison (named after Herbert Morrison, Home Secretary).
     
  13. Cucme

    Cucme New Member

     
  14. Cucme

    Cucme New Member

    I just came across this old thread. I have a brick built bomb shelter in my garden. I think it is the last one in the street. I have wondered about it over the years. Why this and not the Anderson shelter. Would this have been the house owners choice?
     
    ARPCDHG likes this.
  15. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

Share This Page