Monument record TR 15 NE 840 - Second World War communal, surface air-raid shelter in the Broad Street Car Park, Canterbury

In mid 1940 it became clear that there was insufficient air-raid shelter accommodation in Canterbury and a scheme was drawn up for eight new communal surface shelters, each to house fifty persons. This seems to have been modified, slightly, and the resulting shelters were based on modules each housing forty eight. These were to be built of brick and concrete. One of these, approved toward the end of July, was for a shelter at the southern end of the Broad Street Car Park, to house forty-eight. The tender of Mr G.A. Stone was accepted in August and the shelter duly constructed. Toward the end of March 1941 a concrete floor was provided. The roof was strengthened in late February 1942, with reinforced concrete. The shelters can be clearly seen in immediate post-war aerial photographs, up against the extramural face of City Wall, at the extreme south end of the car park. Traditionally, some concrete and brick remains adhering to the city wall, some way to the north of this, have been identified as the remains of this shelter; these are more probably the remains of brewery buildings.
Owner : Public
Publicly accessible : Yes
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : Destroyed
Date of visit :

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). SKE14918.

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). Ske14918.