This air-raid shelter, a basement at Fremlin’s Brewery on St Dunstan’s, was in preparation by September 1939, intended to hold 360 persons. In the event, however, space seems only to have been found for 200. The brewery occupied substantial premises, entered through the extraordinary sixteenth-century Roper Gateway; it is not yet clear where exactly on the premises the shelter was provided. There is, however some reason to believe it was under the malt house - a large building set well back from St Dunstan’s Street, down a long passage flanked by brewery buildings. There was, initially, a red illuminated entrance sign somewhere outside the shelter to direct the public; in mid October it was ordered that this be replaced with a blue sign ‘for uniformity.’ (The minutes of this date referred to the site as ‘Flint’s Brewery’ - although it had been sold to another brewery early in the century, who had in turn merged with Fremlin’s.) The provision at the shelter was approved in early January 1940. Further reinforcement (steelwork) was inserted late in May 1942.
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : unknown
Date of visit :

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). SKE14881.

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). Ske14881.