Second World War public air raid shelter on the eastern (Wrotham Road) side of Woodlands Park, Gravesend. It was built in 1939 as part of a concrete lined tunnel complex, excavated into the park and had space for 300 people. There were two entrances close to the ornamental gates to the park. It would have been decommissioned by the end of the Second World War in Europe and its entrances infilled by 1946, the whole shelter being covered with the grass of the park. An indentation in the ground may be one of its entrances and the shelter may survive archaeologically.
Owner : Public
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey : The site of the possible archaeological survival is part of the park's open space
Tourism Potential : In view of the presence of the Cold War bunker just a few m. away, there may be scope for inclusion of a mention of the site in a defence heritage trail leaflet
Condition : unknown
Date of visit : 28/01/06

Smith, V.T.C., 23/09/06, Woodlands Park Second World War public air raid shelter, Gravesend (Photograph). SKE13788.

Smith, V.T.C., 23/09/06, Woodlands Park Second World War public air raid shelter, Gravesend (Photograph). Ske13788.

Gravesend MB Council, 26/11/39, Minutes of Gravesend Council's Finance and General Purposes Committee (Bibliographic reference). SKE13762.

Gravesend MB Council, 26/11/39, Minutes of Gravesend Council's Finance and General Purposes Committee (Bibliographic reference). Ske13762.