Don’t panic Mr Mannering
Discussion
Hopefully this may interest a few of you.
The house has been in my partners family since it was built c1930’s so I’ve known all along that the shelter was there but curiosity got the better of me last year and so I decided to grab a shovel, how hard could it be?
I did the sleepers 18 months ago and backfilled it with soil and bits of garden tat from an earlier job. Before that it was just a grass mound. The chimney pot is over the air vent.
Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos of that job or how the entrance was prior but here is one of the first when I started
There is alot of stone in the soil which didn’t help when trying to loosen it up.
Some days were more productive than others but I could see progress.
I had no idea that the steps were there and my father in law couldn’t remember either. As it turns out they were a bonus as it saved me digging an awful lot of soil out although they are quite steep but I guess pretty wasn’t an option at the time.
After much toil I was able to get in. Some soil had fallen in over time but most of it was ok.
Apparently the rotted wood was some sort of bunk bed frame but looking beyond that made me stop to sit and think about what it was all about.
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/TjaaMRmc.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/uSBWtdCk" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/uSBWtdCk.jpg)
Having got the old wood out and cleared most of the floor space the shelter is about six foot from floor to ceiling, seven foot front to back and around five foot wide. The doorway is around four foot tall and eighteen inches wide.
[url]
First look from inside to the entrance
The steps are about two toot tall so not sure whether to leave them as they are or put another block in although this would make them shallower.
This was the bottom step taken a couple of weeks ago, again no idea it was there until I jarred my wrist and elbow when hitting it with the spade.
I have now shored up the side towards next door with 6x6 timbers and some 6x2 on the back for safety and to make it look good. Some backfilling is necessary and I will probably deck the bit to the side just to finish it off.
This is the inside after this weekends work.
Steps from the other side
Only found a couple of interesting things amongst the soil and stone
Never seen one of these before
This was taken yesterday, the climber on the shed and other plants showing how long it’s taken so far.
I’m going to see if a local museum or heritage type place will take the gas masks and helmets as it would be a shame to put them in the garage never to be seen again.
I’ll update this whenever I get more done to it
The house has been in my partners family since it was built c1930’s so I’ve known all along that the shelter was there but curiosity got the better of me last year and so I decided to grab a shovel, how hard could it be?
I did the sleepers 18 months ago and backfilled it with soil and bits of garden tat from an earlier job. Before that it was just a grass mound. The chimney pot is over the air vent.
Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos of that job or how the entrance was prior but here is one of the first when I started
There is alot of stone in the soil which didn’t help when trying to loosen it up.
Some days were more productive than others but I could see progress.
I had no idea that the steps were there and my father in law couldn’t remember either. As it turns out they were a bonus as it saved me digging an awful lot of soil out although they are quite steep but I guess pretty wasn’t an option at the time.
After much toil I was able to get in. Some soil had fallen in over time but most of it was ok.
Apparently the rotted wood was some sort of bunk bed frame but looking beyond that made me stop to sit and think about what it was all about.
Having got the old wood out and cleared most of the floor space the shelter is about six foot from floor to ceiling, seven foot front to back and around five foot wide. The doorway is around four foot tall and eighteen inches wide.
[url]First look from inside to the entrance
The steps are about two toot tall so not sure whether to leave them as they are or put another block in although this would make them shallower.
This was the bottom step taken a couple of weeks ago, again no idea it was there until I jarred my wrist and elbow when hitting it with the spade.
I have now shored up the side towards next door with 6x6 timbers and some 6x2 on the back for safety and to make it look good. Some backfilling is necessary and I will probably deck the bit to the side just to finish it off.
This is the inside after this weekends work.
Steps from the other side
Only found a couple of interesting things amongst the soil and stone
Never seen one of these before
This was taken yesterday, the climber on the shed and other plants showing how long it’s taken so far.
I’m going to see if a local museum or heritage type place will take the gas masks and helmets as it would be a shame to put them in the garage never to be seen again.
I’ll update this whenever I get more done to it
outnumbered said:
You could have spun this whole thing over months "Secret German Bunker" style.
Presumably it's got a proper roof on top of that bit of corrugated iron (?) you can see from the inside ?
It is well engineered for its time, I haven’t found how far down the footings go yet and it has concrete beams on the roof.Presumably it's got a proper roof on top of that bit of corrugated iron (?) you can see from the inside ?
No point in going to all that trouble and nailing a bit of tin on.
The daughters play house used to sit on the top when she was younger
RTB said:
That's very cool. A mate of mine had what was left of an Anderson shelter in his back garden which we used to mess about in as kids.
What's the plan? Are you going to but the wooden bunks back in a recreate the shelter as it was?
Not sure what to do when it’s finished, the original plan was just to get in and have a look.What's the plan? Are you going to but the wooden bunks back in a recreate the shelter as it was?
Thought about asking at the local schools to see if they’d be interested but that’s dependant on insurance and elf and safety
RTB said:
Grumblemut said:
Not sure what to do when it’s finished, the original plan was just to get in and have a look.
Thought about asking at the local schools to see if they’d be interested but that’s dependant on insurance and elf and safety
Airbnb it Thought about asking at the local schools to see if they’d be interested but that’s dependant on insurance and elf and safety
Charge £300 a night and hipsters would lap it up.
interesting that it is a grade above the usual Anderson shelter and must have cost a fair bit to construct. Perhaps either some sort of communal shelter for several houses or put up by a builder for his own family?
Re the gas masks, when we moved into a Victorian town house in the 50's (it had a stable and hayloft!) one of the things left behind by the previous owner was a baby's gas mask - it didn't wear it, obviously, but was a sort of enclosed maxi-cosi which you put the baby in for the duration. Probably worth a tidy sum to a collector today
Re the gas masks, when we moved into a Victorian town house in the 50's (it had a stable and hayloft!) one of the things left behind by the previous owner was a baby's gas mask - it didn't wear it, obviously, but was a sort of enclosed maxi-cosi which you put the baby in for the duration. Probably worth a tidy sum to a collector today
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