Bunkers driving me bonkers! what the heck are these buildings

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by emlouw, Oct 21, 2014.

  1. emlouw

    emlouw Member

    Hi
    I have just spent an incredibly interesting 3 hours submerged in this site!! I only came upon it by chance and havent left yet
    Could anybody help me identify these buildings? Derelict "hidden" buildings above Tiger Hall Church Stretton Derelict "hidden" buildings above Church Stretton - reinforced concrete and the look of hurried construction. Have the feel of WW2 architecture but cannot find any reference to these buildings - would welcome any information

    They are in Church Stretton, Shropshire in woodland right next to Tiger Hall (which was used by St Dunstans in WW2)

    There are 3 whole buildings, (one of which is 2 storey with fireplaces) a small hut and 2 large flat stretches of grass bordered by concrete walls. a lot of the site is enclosed by concrete walls and I know that the right of way was diverted in WW2 so no access could go through the site.

    This is driving me crazy, no locals know what they were for and I have been to Shrewsbury regimental museum, the shropshire archives, 2 local libraries and zilch
    Any answers, musings etc would be gratefully received
    Thank you
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Bob Wilton

    Bob Wilton Junior Member

    Are these buildings in All Stretton emlouw?
     
  3. emlouw

    emlouw Member

    Hiya Bob
    No they are in the heart of Church Stretton, right alongside Rectory Fields and Townbrook Hollow, not far from The Longmynd Hotel
    cheers
    Emma
     
  4. emlouw

    emlouw Member

    This is 1937 map, where the buildings are shown, but not showing on 1927 map, so built between these years
     

    Attached Files:

  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  6. emlouw

    emlouw Member

    Hi TD
    That is all I keep getting when I search. i swear to god this is driving me crazy lol, with so many old folk in Church Stretton, I thought this would be easy, eyes now squiffy from too much googling and still no closer to their use etc
    many thanks anyway TD
    Emma
     
  7. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  8. CL1

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

    utility buildings part of the St Dunstan hospital by the looks
     
  9. emlouw

    emlouw Member

    I am hoping so, cant think what else to look at, many thanks for replying TD
     
  10. CL1

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

  11. emlouw

    emlouw Member

    Hi CL1
    I was thinking that, but cant think what the blind verterans would want with those kind of buildings, as far as i have read about St Dunstans, they taught the veterans typing etc, and reintegrated them ready for civilian jobs. they look sort of WW2 military and i know the army were very close by with a 7 pounder! unfortunately all our local veterans have passed away, so all of this history has gone with them ;o(
     
  12. CL1

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

    Possibly houses built to assist the patients to cope when they return home?
    Also air raid shelter perhaps.
    The house type structures are built in to the hill like the houses on The Burway and Carding Mill Valley


    There is also a nuclear observation bunker on one of the hills overlooking Church Stretton according to Google.
    [​IMG]



    regards
    Clive
     
  13. CL1

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

  14. Bob Wilton

    Bob Wilton Junior Member

    Hi Emma,I know where you mean.

     
  15. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    British History Online , Church Stretton:


    http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22861


    St Dunstan's Review:

    https://archive.org/search.php?query=st dunstan's

    Move to the Longmynd Hotel Church Stretton July 1940 edition. Rehabilitation Centre. 'Ropes with knotting at varying intervals leading to locations were strung up on routes':


    https://archive.org/stream/stdunstansrevie193741unse#page/n317/mode/2up


    Secret Shropshire - Longmynd:

    http://www.search.secretshropshire.org.uk/engine/search/default_hndlr.asp?txtKeywords=&lstContext=&lstResourceType=&lstExhibitionType=&chkPurchaseVisible=&txtDateFrom=&txtDateTo=&originator=%2Fengine%2Fsearch%2Fdefault_hndlr.asp&page=26&records=9840&direction=1&pointer=18807&text=1
     
  16. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Emma

    Perhaps a trip to the council offices to ask an archivist to determine more closely the date of construction, and who owned the land at that time, who constructed them and for whom. You might also be able to find out the details of the present owner, or previous owners and be able to glean something from them.

    It is another possible route to answer your question

    TD
     
  17. ceolredmonger

    ceolredmonger Member

    I have no knowledge of this site however was reminded of Beaumanor Hall in Leicestershire.

    The Hall and estate was requisitioned during the war and became a signals secret Y Station. Needing more accommodation, buildings were erected carefully in keeping with a country estate - well dispersed and with at least one disguised as a complete greenhouse. When I saw them in the 1970's they were abandoned and in a bit of a sorry state, the local Education Committee used the Hall with the outbuildings allocated to different Secondary Schools for 'vocational training'. No amount of logic would have worked out what they were, modern materials looking hastily thrown up but with eighteenth century layouts and details plus very randomly dispersed - credit to the original designers attempting to fool Luftwaffe photo analysts. They have since been given some tlc. and the privately run Hall, conference venue, celebrates their history.

    After the war part of the grounds were kept as an MOD Signals station and is now Welbeck College. The Hall is separate.
     
  18. emlouw

    emlouw Member

    Hi
    That sounds feasable, Im wondering if the walled flat grassy parts were air raid shelters? The Y station seems an idea, seeing as the largest building has fireplaces in, I am guessing that they had to stay warm whilst nosing in on the opposition!
    I will look more along this avenue for a few nights, see what that brings up, though I'm guessing as the Y station was secret, maybe people in the area really have no idea what it is for
    many thanks
    emma
     
  19. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Emma

    Remember though that you have shown these buildings were constructed somewhere between 1927 and 1937, so they would not have been built for any WW2 requirement specifically.

    TD
     
  20. emlouw

    emlouw Member

    Hi TD

    I was thinking that, would it be possible that the powers that be knew that WW2 was a possibility and built training camps prior to the outbreak of WW2?
    It just looks so "military" that I have no idea why they would be built if it wasn't war based?
    cheers
    em
     

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