Stockport Air Raid Shelters facts for kids
Brinksway air raid shelter
|
|
| Established | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Location | Stockport, Greater Manchester, England |
| Owner | Stockport Council |
The Stockport Air Raid Shelters are a huge network of underground tunnels in Stockport, England. These tunnels stretch for almost 1 mile (1.6 km)! They were built during World War II to keep people safe from air raids. Stockport is about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Manchester.
Workers dug four main sets of these shelters into the red sandstone rock beneath the town. Building started in September 1938. The first shelters opened on 28 October 1939. Interestingly, Stockport itself was not bombed until 11 October 1940. The smallest tunnels could hold 2,000 people. The largest could hold 3,850 people and was later made even bigger to fit up to 6,500 people.
After the war ended, the shelters were closed to the public in 1948. Today, the largest of the Stockport Air Raid Shelters has been open as a museum since 1996. It is part of the town's museum service.
Contents
Exploring the Underground Tunnels
The Stockport Air Raid Shelters are made up of several different tunnel systems. Each one was designed to protect many people during the war.
Brinksway Shelter: A Historic Hideaway
The Brinksway shelter is located in Edgeley. It was designed to hold 1,085 bunks for sleeping and seats for 1,735 people.
The tunnels for this shelter actually expanded on older caves. These were the 17th-century Brinksway Caves. Long ago, these caves were used by workers called navvies. They were building the Stockport Viaduct.
Chestergate Shelter: The "Chestergate Hotel"
The Chestergate Shelter is a very large and well-known part of the tunnel system. It could originally hold 3,850 people. Later, it was made twice as big to fit 6,500 people.
The Mayoress of Stockport officially opened this shelter on 28 October 1939. People who used the shelter gave it a special nickname: the 'Chestergate Hotel'. This was because it had some "luxurious" features for the time. These included 16-seater chemical toilets, electric lights, and even a canteen where people could get food.
The Chestergate Shelter opened to the public as a museum in 1996.
Dodge Hill Shelter: Protecting Heaton Norris
The Dodge Hill shelter is in Heaton Norris. This part of the tunnel system could provide safety for about 2,000 people.
