Canterbury St John's Northgate Board School, founded in 1903. During the Second World War the school was served by three air raid shelters, two over the river and one, a concrete trench shelter for the infants. Later a new one was added in the Girls Playground. This brick-built surface shelter survives and was probably associated with the use of the site as a hospital. Plans were also made to make the school building defendable in the event of German invasion. (1)

Under Nodal Point conditions in Canterbury, new Emergency Hospitals were required, within the defensive perimeter. One of these was established at St John’s Council School, Northgate. It was earmarked for this purpose in February 1941, and subsequently established, but quickly proved unsatisfactory (by mid November). Nevertheless it was retained in reserve, for military and civilian casualties, at least until early 1942.
Owner : Public
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : unknown
Date of visit :
(2 and 3)

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). Ske14761.

Canterbury Fortress Command, 01/01/42, War Diary Canterbury Fortress 1942 (Unpublished document). Ske14762.

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2011, Kingsmead School, St John's Place, Canterbury, Kent: Provisional desk-based assessment & historic buildings appraisal (Unpublished document). SKE17428.

<2> Canterbury Fortress Command, 01/01/42, War Diary Canterbury Fortress 1942 (Unpublished document). SKE14762.

<3> Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). SKE14761.