This large public air raid shelter is one of four which were proposed and built by Surrey Council at the beginning of WW2.
After the war, the shelter was used by a lense manufacturing company and later as a garage, and most of the internal fixings and equipment seem to date from around this time. The tunnels themselves are lined throughout in brick,.
The plan was over ambitious and only a fraction of the intended tunnels were built. Two of the longitudinal tunnels were abandoned, stopping short in a sheer white wall of chalk whilst only two lateral tunnels were completed. A mysterious new room was dug to the north of the tunnels – not shown on the plans – whilst the canteen was never excavated. Perhaps budgetary constraints prevented them from being fully realised as the total cost of all four shelters was given as £71,000 in 1943.
Pictures arnt great as they were on my old point & shoot but here they are
What I assume is control panel for ventilation was quite interesting
View up the vent shaft, its incredible how far underground you are at this point.
Various car parts & tools remain
A return visit in 19 we found this had been backfilled, but people had already started trying to dig it out so dont think it will be sealed for long.
All we did find was this, your guess is as good as mine on this one!
