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A forgotten air raid shelter, buried for more than 80 years, was found recently by a group of schoolchildren.
Pupils at St Peter’s Independent School in Kettering, Northamptonshire, made the discovery during a clear-up of the school grounds earlier this spring.
The shelter, which has been described as ‘vast’ by the school’s staff, is believed to have had capacity for up to 100 people. After the discovery was made, in an area of undergrowth in the school grounds, experts from Sywell Aviation Museum, based at the nearby Sywell Aerodrome, were called in to advise.
According to the museum, the structure was most likely built for railway workers. The school is adjacent to the site of former railway yards and is just south of Kettering’s main station.
Above & below: The remains of the air raid shelter. It was most likely built for railway workers during the Second World War. Images: Sywell Aviation Museum/Facebook
Its distinctive design is also similar to that of other structures found on London, Midland, and Scottish railway sites.
The main school building, Sunnylands, was built in 1893 to be the home of the Timpson family, owners of the high street key-cutting business. Members of the Timpson family were among the founders of the school in 1946. Sunnylands is now a Grade II-listed building.
Headmaster Mark Thomas has appealed for more information about the history of the shelter and outlined plans for its future.
‘Long term, we’d like to make it into a learning space for children,’ Thomas said. ‘But it obviously needs to be cleared as safe first.’
