1. The History
Stockport is a town located six miles due south of Manchester and is located in the Greater Manchester area. During World War II, a system of Air Raid Shelters were dug underneath the town to protect the local residence from the threat of the German Luftwaffe bombing campaigns. The shelters were dug into the relatively soft red sandstone that the town is sat on. Construction actually started prior to the war in September 1938, and while the shelters first opened at the end of October 1939, Stockport was not bombed until the night of Friday 11th October, 1940.
Sources make reference to there being four shelter complexes in total, although information referenced only names and identifies three such shelters. This may because the other shelter complex was destroyed when the M60 was built through Stockport in 1982.
The Brinksway Shelter was located in Edgeley and had a capacity of 2,820 (1,085 bunks and 1,735 seats). They utilised and expanded on the 17th-century Brinksway Caves which had previously been used as a shelter by navvies working on the Stockport Viaduct.
The Chestergate Shelter in the centre of town was initially able to accommodate 3,850 people, before it was latterly expanded to a capacity to 6,500, making it the biggest civilian shelter in the UK. The shelter was formally opened on 28th October 1939 by the Mayoress of Stockport. It considered to be a 'luxurious' shelter and earned the nick-name the ‘Chestergate Hotel’, due to boasting sixteen chemical toilets, electric lighting and a canteen. Having been sealed up after the war was over, the shelter was only re-opened in the mid-1990s, when workmen accidentally broke through into the network while carrying out road repairs. The shelter was subsequently opened as a museum a year later in 1996. The museum is now managed by Stockport City Council and attracts over 50,000 visitors a year making it one of Stockport’s top tourist attractions. You can book self-guided tours all days of the week except Mondays (more information HERE).
Map of the shelter:
The Dodge Hill shelter located in Heaton Norris (the ones we explored) had a capacity of circa 2,000 and thus were the smallest of the three. It had two entrances from Dodge Hill at street level, both of which remain visible today) and another three entrances towards the southern extremities of the complex. Construction was completed in just four months by a team using pneumatic drills and hand tools. The shelter's construction facilitated the flow of fresh air within the complex. Cooler air would flow down into the tunnels causing the warmer, stale air to rise and disapate at the two higher street exits. Like the other shelters, it was sealed up after the war but was in the news in 2013 when two teenagers became trapped in the tunnels for over three hours. Apparently, it required 20 firefighters and seven emergency vehicles to rescue them! A year later, it took over 35 firefighters put out a fire in the shelter complex, possibly started by rough sleepers.
Map of Dodge Hill:
After the war, in 1948, the shelters were all finally sealed off from the public. The air raid shelters were featured in the book “The Nightingales in Mersey Square” in 2020. Written by Geraldine O'Neill's using the pen name Lilly Robbins, the story centred around two young trainee nurses who were Guernsey evacuees. In order to ensure the authenticity of her writing, the author even went to the effort of visiting the shelters.
2. The Explore
Had this place on my radar for ages but never got over to see it until last year. Access comes and goes here and we knew the larger and nearby Brinksway system was well sealed, given the last report from here dated back to 2018. However, we had it on good authority that Dodge Hill was open, so myself and my non-forum exploring mate J decided to head over the Snake to check it out.
And we were not disappointed. Although we knew the rough location, after a bit of fannying around we found the entry point, not before spotting a couple of suspicious looking characters who were just behind us. We opened up a conversation with them and established we were on the same trail and it turned out to be none other than our very own @stranton and @ACIDREFLUX Hence we spent a very enjoyable time chatting and exploring the complex together. Pleasure to meet you gents and thank you for the help with the lighting (think they also returned later in the day with @GRONK ).
The place is a bit of a maze and it does get a little bit samey after a while. But the 100’s of well preserved wire and steel bunks and metres of pick-axed tunnels make it well worth the while. So good to have finally see this place.
3. The Pictures
Let’s start with the two main entrances:
Looks like this was open at some point in time:
And we’re in. Right turn:
And the first of many bunk beds, these ones in poor condition:
The further you go in, the better condition the bunk beds are:
Interestingly, in places the roof varies between natural red sandstone and it being concrete lined:
Some of the tunnels have side rooms:
Looks like the tunnelling stopped here:
And this means we have reached the far north-east part of the complex which leads to the street access to the shelters:
Time to head back out:
This looks like some sort of water supply:
And how did this vintage car wheel hub get down here?
In places, it’s a real shame about the really crap graffiti:
And in others it relatively clean:
Close up of the pick-marks:
On to the toilet section:
And on to the exit:
That’s all folks!
Stockport is a town located six miles due south of Manchester and is located in the Greater Manchester area. During World War II, a system of Air Raid Shelters were dug underneath the town to protect the local residence from the threat of the German Luftwaffe bombing campaigns. The shelters were dug into the relatively soft red sandstone that the town is sat on. Construction actually started prior to the war in September 1938, and while the shelters first opened at the end of October 1939, Stockport was not bombed until the night of Friday 11th October, 1940.
Sources make reference to there being four shelter complexes in total, although information referenced only names and identifies three such shelters. This may because the other shelter complex was destroyed when the M60 was built through Stockport in 1982.
The Brinksway Shelter was located in Edgeley and had a capacity of 2,820 (1,085 bunks and 1,735 seats). They utilised and expanded on the 17th-century Brinksway Caves which had previously been used as a shelter by navvies working on the Stockport Viaduct.
The Chestergate Shelter in the centre of town was initially able to accommodate 3,850 people, before it was latterly expanded to a capacity to 6,500, making it the biggest civilian shelter in the UK. The shelter was formally opened on 28th October 1939 by the Mayoress of Stockport. It considered to be a 'luxurious' shelter and earned the nick-name the ‘Chestergate Hotel’, due to boasting sixteen chemical toilets, electric lighting and a canteen. Having been sealed up after the war was over, the shelter was only re-opened in the mid-1990s, when workmen accidentally broke through into the network while carrying out road repairs. The shelter was subsequently opened as a museum a year later in 1996. The museum is now managed by Stockport City Council and attracts over 50,000 visitors a year making it one of Stockport’s top tourist attractions. You can book self-guided tours all days of the week except Mondays (more information HERE).
Map of the shelter:
The Dodge Hill shelter located in Heaton Norris (the ones we explored) had a capacity of circa 2,000 and thus were the smallest of the three. It had two entrances from Dodge Hill at street level, both of which remain visible today) and another three entrances towards the southern extremities of the complex. Construction was completed in just four months by a team using pneumatic drills and hand tools. The shelter's construction facilitated the flow of fresh air within the complex. Cooler air would flow down into the tunnels causing the warmer, stale air to rise and disapate at the two higher street exits. Like the other shelters, it was sealed up after the war but was in the news in 2013 when two teenagers became trapped in the tunnels for over three hours. Apparently, it required 20 firefighters and seven emergency vehicles to rescue them! A year later, it took over 35 firefighters put out a fire in the shelter complex, possibly started by rough sleepers.
Map of Dodge Hill:
After the war, in 1948, the shelters were all finally sealed off from the public. The air raid shelters were featured in the book “The Nightingales in Mersey Square” in 2020. Written by Geraldine O'Neill's using the pen name Lilly Robbins, the story centred around two young trainee nurses who were Guernsey evacuees. In order to ensure the authenticity of her writing, the author even went to the effort of visiting the shelters.
2. The Explore
Had this place on my radar for ages but never got over to see it until last year. Access comes and goes here and we knew the larger and nearby Brinksway system was well sealed, given the last report from here dated back to 2018. However, we had it on good authority that Dodge Hill was open, so myself and my non-forum exploring mate J decided to head over the Snake to check it out.
And we were not disappointed. Although we knew the rough location, after a bit of fannying around we found the entry point, not before spotting a couple of suspicious looking characters who were just behind us. We opened up a conversation with them and established we were on the same trail and it turned out to be none other than our very own @stranton and @ACIDREFLUX Hence we spent a very enjoyable time chatting and exploring the complex together. Pleasure to meet you gents and thank you for the help with the lighting (think they also returned later in the day with @GRONK ).
The place is a bit of a maze and it does get a little bit samey after a while. But the 100’s of well preserved wire and steel bunks and metres of pick-axed tunnels make it well worth the while. So good to have finally see this place.
3. The Pictures
Let’s start with the two main entrances:
Looks like this was open at some point in time:
And we’re in. Right turn:
And the first of many bunk beds, these ones in poor condition:
The further you go in, the better condition the bunk beds are:
Interestingly, in places the roof varies between natural red sandstone and it being concrete lined:
Some of the tunnels have side rooms:
Looks like the tunnelling stopped here:
And this means we have reached the far north-east part of the complex which leads to the street access to the shelters:
Time to head back out:
This looks like some sort of water supply:
And how did this vintage car wheel hub get down here?
In places, it’s a real shame about the really crap graffiti:
And in others it relatively clean:
Close up of the pick-marks:
On to the toilet section:
And on to the exit:
That’s all folks!
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