Lancashire At War.co.uk
Exploring the hidden history of War sites in Lancashire
North Chadderton Lower School air raid shelter
Saw this a few months ago passing by on the A663 Broadway and wondered about it. Went back recently and saw that it was a forgotten building from the Second World War - a large surface air raid shelter.
It stands on the edge of the site of (the now demolished) North Chadderton Lower School. Its blocked up entrances open out onto the playground - though someone has smashed a hole in the outer wall (see photo RIGHT).
How long will this building survive? Unfortunately, with the vandalism damage, we worry it will soon go the same way as the school it once served. These surface shelters are becoming more and more rare.
Left: The shelter sits on the edge of the playground, the school's outer fence butts up to it. The bricked up entrance on the left-hand-side is clearly visible.
Right: North Chadderton Lower School is now just a pile of rubble.
Left and Right: Two photos inside the shelter courtesy of the hole smashed through the wall by someone probably expecting to find something more exciting!
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