Monument record TR 15 NW 848 - Second World War school air-raid shelter Holy Cross School, Canterbury

Summary

Late in 1939 air-raid shelters were provided at the Holy Cross School on St Peter’s Place. For reasons of space these were across the road from the school building.

Location

Grid reference TR 1446 5787 (point)
Map sheet TR15NW
County KENT
District CANTERBURY, KENT
Civil Parish CANTERBURY, CANTERBURY, KENT

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

In late September 1939 contracts were entered into for trench air-raid shelters at the Holy Cross School (since demolished), on St Peter’s Place, to be completed in accordance with new Home Office Specifications. It was expected these would be completed in about seven weeks. (In the meantime it was suggested that they use the basement of Friar’s Cinema as a shelter (this seems odd as it would have meant running nearly 500m each time there was an air-raid). Either the plan was changed, or the trench shelters were soon replaced with surface shelters, because by the end of January 1942 the school possessed a brick-built, surface air-raid shelter, to accommodate 200 scholars and staff. This was ‘in Westgate Gardens near [the] old peoples’ flats’ (i.e. Westgate Gardens Flats). Immediate post-war aerial photographs show they were just to the north of the latter, beside the present side-entrance to the Westgate Gardens, more-or-less opposite where the school stood. Westgate gardens had recently been given to the Council. By this time, the shelter had been made available for public use outside school hours.
Owner : Unknown
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Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). SKE14949.

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). Ske14949.

Sources/Archives (2)

  • --- Unpublished document: Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee. 01/01/39. Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6.
  • --- Unpublished document: Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee. 01/01/39. Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Aug 4 2009 5:51AM