Building record TQ 67 SW 1289 - Dover Road School Second World War air raid shelter, Northfleet

Summary

Second World War surface air raid shelter on the edge of playing fields on the SW side of Dover Road School, Northfleet. Provided c. early 1940 for the protection of the pupils of the school. It is a rectangular yellow-brick building with a flat concrete roof, containing three shelter rooms accessed from airlock entrances at either end of its long, northern elevation. It was decommissioned in 1945 and post-war became a school store and, in 2000, a museum for the school.

Location

Grid reference TQ 6341 7344 (point)
Map sheet TQ67SW
Civil Parish GRAVESEND, GRAVESHAM, KENT
County KENT
District GRAVESHAM, KENT

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

Second World War surface air raid shelter on the edge of playing fields on the SW side of Dover Road School, Northfleet. It was built c. early 1940 to provide air raid protection for the pupils of the school. The shelter is a rectangular brick building (18.5m x 5 m x 2.3 m high), with a flat concrete roof and a poured concrete floor. It is accessed from two airlock entrances at either end of the long northern elevation. Both have surviving timber airlock frames. The entrances lead into a sequence of three shelter rooms. The ceilings of the rooms are of square section corrugated steel, on the top of which the concrete of the roof was laid. The walls of the rooms display traces of the original electrical lighting circuits and metal hooks for hurricane emergency lanterns. Wall batten back rests and anti-gas shutters over ventilation shutters remain. The shelter was decommissioned at the end of the Second World War in Europe in 1945 and subsequently became a school store. In 2000 the shelter became a school museum.
Owner : Public
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey : Within a closed and secure school perimeter
Tourism Potential : It has the potential for interpreting the Second World War more widely through inter-school visits
Condition : very good
Date of visit : 04/01/06 (1)


<1> Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders, 2001, Kent's Defence Heritage (Unpublished document). SKE6956.

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1> Unpublished document: Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders. 2001. Kent's Defence Heritage.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Jun 7 2012 3:20PM