Lancashire At War.co.uk
Exploring the hidden history of War sites in Lancashire
Air Raid Shelters
75 years on, a handful of Air Raid Shelters still exist throughout Lancashire. Some are disguised, others are easily viewable - but either way you probably walk past them reglarly without realising what they are.
This page shows a few examples that have more images elsewhere on this site and links you to them.
In Padiham Memorial Park, there is a rather unique air raid shelter (Right).
It looks a foreboding place to go to on a dark night when bombers could be heard rumbling overhead. I wonder how often it was used. Today, it is a beautifully maintained communal space with rose gardens and trees.
Right and Left:
Two above ground communal air raid shelters still in existence,
Below Right: A brick built back yard air raid shelter.
Right: An entrance to an air raid shelter
Middle: The main corridor
Right: The escape hatch (in case the main entrance gets blocked by bomb damage).
Stockport Air Raid Shelters
Burnley - possible Air Raid Shelter?
We were told about this peculiar building by Burnley local, Lee, who wondered if it was of WW2 origin.
It certainly looks WW2 to us - it has all the hallmarks - but what is it?
Lee pointed out what looks like two embrasures facing the river Brun and Thompson Park (see photo Right). Are they embrasures? Is this a defensive building like the one in Blackley? Or is it an air raid shelter? Possibly for the factory that once stood where the Premier Inn now stands?
If you know, please contact us!
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Levenshulme, Manchester. Three existing surface air raid shelters. The existence of each is thanks to their recording on LevyBoy.Com's Wartime page.
The Levyboy.com website is highly recommended for its recording of all things Levenshulme - including Industry and Aviation, much of which has a Second World War story.
MORE PHOTOS OF LEVENSHULME AIR RAID SHELTERS ON OUR PAGE HERE
Healy Dell, Rochdale, Munitions Factory has a few Air Raid Shelters to explore.
This surface air raid shelter served the North Chadderton Lower School on Broadway (A663), Oldham.
The school is now gone - recently demolished. But, fortunately, the shelter sits on the outside of the boundary of the site and so survived!
The air raid shelters underneath Stockport - carved out of its red rock - were public shelters for hundreds during World War Two.
They are now open as an excellent museum.
BELOW: Sandy Lane, Cottam, Preston.
Two former air raid shelters associated with the school there.