Air raid shelter found lying beneath Keighley building

Whilst demolishing an unwanted boiler house in the grounds of the former Keighley College building, workers discovered a wartime air raid shelter about three feet below the ground.

The shelter, below the car park in North Street, is brick-built with a reinforced concrete ceiling. It is about three feet wide and there are four linked corridors in a rectangular layout.

Wooden benches are now largely rotted but evidence of the fixing to the walls still remain. Some of the floors were covered by wooden boards to keep people’s feet off the cold concrete floor.

The workers were carrying out the demolition on behalf of Bradford Council.

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for Employment, Skills and Culture, said: “I find this discovery absolutely fascinating. The remnants of the air raid shelter are a stark reminder of the fear under which people had to live their lives during the Second World War.

“I’m pleased we’re able to record the find for local history archives.”

The demolition work has been carried out to make the building and the site marketable and invite developer interest.

Paul North, Bradford Council’s Airedale and Manningham Masterplan Manager, said: “The shelter was not on the plans of the building as this kind of wartime construction was often carried out quickly. It was one of a number of wartime shelters. Others were located under Town Hall square and under the roundabout at the bottom of Oakworth Road.”

Elizabeth Chamberlin, from the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service, said: “Householders were encouraged to modify their own homes or build small domestic shelters in response to concerns over the threat of gas attacks, blasts from high explosives and incendiary bombs.

“Factories, businesses, schools and other institutions also provided air raid shelters as places of refuge in addition to the public shelters provided by local authorities.”

She was pleased that the Council was able to pass on information about the air raid shelter to add to the Historic Environment Record.

For details contact the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service on 01924 306797 or email [email protected].