The smell of war loomed large in 1938. Like many other Northern cities, Leeds prepared for the worst.
The recreation grounds across the city were dug up, large public air raid shelters were constructed underground. The shelters were sealed up, and forgotten about after the war. But many of these time capsules still survive to this day.
Here's a recreation ground shelter been built in Chapletown, Leeds in 1938.
The first shelters were built of brick like this one.
Once you know what your looking for, it's easy to spot the tell tale earth mound on top of the shelter.
This is one of the shelters in Wortley, Leeds. There are no such visible clues to today's shelter. It really is well camouflaged.
The massive Gotts park has not one-but two subterranean shelters. One is relatively small, the other is much bigger and harder to spot from above. It's amazing to think such a hidden warren of tunnels run underneath this well tended park.
Down into the shelter we go!
This is the view of one of the shelter entrances, large amounts of brick rubble were tipped into the entrances, they were grassed over, and sealed shut after the war. You wouldn't know these doorways existed a few feet away on the other side. You can see the remains of the wooden door, and hinges on this shot.
Enter the darkness!
You never quite know what you might find in these long forgotten places.
Welcome to the world of the Bunker!
A warren of dark, and narrow, war time tunnels sprawls out under Armley Gotts park. With all the exits sealed, the air would become thin as we ventured further into the bunker complex.
War baby!
This 1940's pram has been left down here for 65 years.
There are no visible clues to this shelter on the surface, you simply can't tell how big it was going to be. We first thought it was just a single bay shelter, that was until we peered over the pile of brick rubble, then we could see the shelter extended further. It was a very tight gap to get through, but onwards into bay 2 we went. We had to navigate these brick obstructions at every entrance.
Stencil painted signs from WWII were to be found in remarkeable condition throughout the shelter.
No escape!
This escape hatch would have been used in an emergency, should any of the entrances be damaged during a bombing raid. The rusty hatch has long since siezed up, you wouldn't know it existed above ground today.
This shelter is made from prefabricated concrete, the different sections would easily slot together in kit form. This shelter was built when the war machine was well organised, and in in full flow. Large amounts of water poured down the walls in the last bay number 5. You can see one of the many brick rubble blockages in the distance, we had to navigate one of these every 30ft i would say. It certainly was slow going to get yourself, camera gear, and lights into the next section. Then we had to do it all again on the way back out.
How did it feel to know you couldn't get out of this place in a hurry? It was best not to think about it at the time i guess.
The creeping!
We've now reached the claustrophobic confines of the last bunker. Here we could see Mother nature was closing in fast, she was reclaiming this place once again. Tree roots were crawling down the wall, plant life was hanging from the ceiling. Pieces of soil would occasionally fall into the shelter. Navigating the tunnel by torchlight, our feet shuffled along, the fine strands of hanging roots would unexpectedly tickle your face and neck. This is how it feels to be under the earth for sure.
THE THING!
Suddenly...the horrible ghostly specter of WWII Tommy Aitken appeared.
He was stood staring menacingly at me. The apparition was caught in the torch light for a split second. Heavy breathing through the gas mask respirator getting louder......Tempreture rising, the heart beats faster. A pungent smell of pure evil filled the air!!!
The whine of the air raid siren rose in the night air, the drone of the Luftwaffe bombers was heard overhead. The Nazi war machine was pounding the city less than a mile away. We were now back in time....It was shortly before midnight on the 14th of March 1941. This would prove to be the worst air raid attack in Leeds. 4,600 houses would be damaged, 100 of them destroyed, 65 people killed, and 260 injured. Leeds Town Hall, Kirkgate Market, City Station, Leeds General Infirmary, City Square, the Leeds Museum, Quarry Hill Flats and Kirkstall Power Station would also be hit by bombs tonight.
The Specter!
A hazy swirl of ectoplasm surrounded the heinous apparition, the haunted soul vanished as quickly as he had come.
When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes into you!
HALT...who goes there, Friend or foe?
He who fights monsters must take care lest he become a monster!
(Friedrich Nietzsche)
WAR PIGS!
Generals gathered in their masses. Just like witches at black masses. Evil minds that plot destruction. Sorcerers of death's construction. In the fields the bodies burning. As the war machine keeps turning!
Now in darkness world stops turning, ashes where the bodies burning.
No more war pigs have the power, hand of God has struck the hour. Day of judgement, God is calling, on their knees the war pig's crawling. Begging mercy for their sins. Satan laughing spreads his wings.
Black Sabbath.
The shelters were divided into mens, women and childrens sections. Drinking water, toliets, and wardens posts were alternately situated in the corners of the shelter.
The shelter was in amazing condition, there was no vandalism, or grafitti to be seen. The brick piers had small stoves in them for the Winter months. You can see metal brackets that carried the chimney stacks above ground. The wooden benches had been stripped out, but everything else was well preserved. Small pieces of coal can be seen on this picture.
A 1939 archive picture of the East End park recreation ground shelter.
The Gotts park shelter is identical to this one, you can see the small stove, chimney stack, and benches to good effect here. I was really pleased to tick my second Leeds shelter off the to do list. It was near midnight when we emerged. Our hands and knees were a bit battered, and bruised, but we were well happy with the nights work!
This diagram gives you a good idea to the Gotts park shelter layout. There were 5 bays in total, all the bays were linked by connecting corridors. Entrances were on both sides of the shelter. The Gotts park shelter was huge once inside. I've worked it out to be around 80 yards long (240 ft) by 8 yards (25 ft) wide. I think this is roughly the same size, and layout as the Beeston Cross Flats shelter seen below.
This is a similar sized shelter on nearby Cross Flats park. I think this shelter has to be the easiest to spot on aerial photographs. The raised mound of earth is clearly visible. There is no such luxury with the Gotts park well camouflaged shelter.
There's more Leeds shelters, and surviving war relics on my blog here
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=265602590&blogId=497370934
The recreation grounds across the city were dug up, large public air raid shelters were constructed underground. The shelters were sealed up, and forgotten about after the war. But many of these time capsules still survive to this day.
Here's a recreation ground shelter been built in Chapletown, Leeds in 1938.
The first shelters were built of brick like this one.
Once you know what your looking for, it's easy to spot the tell tale earth mound on top of the shelter.
This is one of the shelters in Wortley, Leeds. There are no such visible clues to today's shelter. It really is well camouflaged.
The massive Gotts park has not one-but two subterranean shelters. One is relatively small, the other is much bigger and harder to spot from above. It's amazing to think such a hidden warren of tunnels run underneath this well tended park.
Down into the shelter we go!
This is the view of one of the shelter entrances, large amounts of brick rubble were tipped into the entrances, they were grassed over, and sealed shut after the war. You wouldn't know these doorways existed a few feet away on the other side. You can see the remains of the wooden door, and hinges on this shot.
Enter the darkness!
You never quite know what you might find in these long forgotten places.
Welcome to the world of the Bunker!
A warren of dark, and narrow, war time tunnels sprawls out under Armley Gotts park. With all the exits sealed, the air would become thin as we ventured further into the bunker complex.
War baby!
This 1940's pram has been left down here for 65 years.
There are no visible clues to this shelter on the surface, you simply can't tell how big it was going to be. We first thought it was just a single bay shelter, that was until we peered over the pile of brick rubble, then we could see the shelter extended further. It was a very tight gap to get through, but onwards into bay 2 we went. We had to navigate these brick obstructions at every entrance.
Stencil painted signs from WWII were to be found in remarkeable condition throughout the shelter.
No escape!
This escape hatch would have been used in an emergency, should any of the entrances be damaged during a bombing raid. The rusty hatch has long since siezed up, you wouldn't know it existed above ground today.
This shelter is made from prefabricated concrete, the different sections would easily slot together in kit form. This shelter was built when the war machine was well organised, and in in full flow. Large amounts of water poured down the walls in the last bay number 5. You can see one of the many brick rubble blockages in the distance, we had to navigate one of these every 30ft i would say. It certainly was slow going to get yourself, camera gear, and lights into the next section. Then we had to do it all again on the way back out.
How did it feel to know you couldn't get out of this place in a hurry? It was best not to think about it at the time i guess.
The creeping!
We've now reached the claustrophobic confines of the last bunker. Here we could see Mother nature was closing in fast, she was reclaiming this place once again. Tree roots were crawling down the wall, plant life was hanging from the ceiling. Pieces of soil would occasionally fall into the shelter. Navigating the tunnel by torchlight, our feet shuffled along, the fine strands of hanging roots would unexpectedly tickle your face and neck. This is how it feels to be under the earth for sure.
THE THING!
Suddenly...the horrible ghostly specter of WWII Tommy Aitken appeared.
He was stood staring menacingly at me. The apparition was caught in the torch light for a split second. Heavy breathing through the gas mask respirator getting louder......Tempreture rising, the heart beats faster. A pungent smell of pure evil filled the air!!!
The whine of the air raid siren rose in the night air, the drone of the Luftwaffe bombers was heard overhead. The Nazi war machine was pounding the city less than a mile away. We were now back in time....It was shortly before midnight on the 14th of March 1941. This would prove to be the worst air raid attack in Leeds. 4,600 houses would be damaged, 100 of them destroyed, 65 people killed, and 260 injured. Leeds Town Hall, Kirkgate Market, City Station, Leeds General Infirmary, City Square, the Leeds Museum, Quarry Hill Flats and Kirkstall Power Station would also be hit by bombs tonight.
The Specter!
A hazy swirl of ectoplasm surrounded the heinous apparition, the haunted soul vanished as quickly as he had come.
When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes into you!
HALT...who goes there, Friend or foe?
He who fights monsters must take care lest he become a monster!
(Friedrich Nietzsche)
WAR PIGS!
Generals gathered in their masses. Just like witches at black masses. Evil minds that plot destruction. Sorcerers of death's construction. In the fields the bodies burning. As the war machine keeps turning!
Now in darkness world stops turning, ashes where the bodies burning.
No more war pigs have the power, hand of God has struck the hour. Day of judgement, God is calling, on their knees the war pig's crawling. Begging mercy for their sins. Satan laughing spreads his wings.
Black Sabbath.
The shelters were divided into mens, women and childrens sections. Drinking water, toliets, and wardens posts were alternately situated in the corners of the shelter.
The shelter was in amazing condition, there was no vandalism, or grafitti to be seen. The brick piers had small stoves in them for the Winter months. You can see metal brackets that carried the chimney stacks above ground. The wooden benches had been stripped out, but everything else was well preserved. Small pieces of coal can be seen on this picture.
A 1939 archive picture of the East End park recreation ground shelter.
The Gotts park shelter is identical to this one, you can see the small stove, chimney stack, and benches to good effect here. I was really pleased to tick my second Leeds shelter off the to do list. It was near midnight when we emerged. Our hands and knees were a bit battered, and bruised, but we were well happy with the nights work!
This diagram gives you a good idea to the Gotts park shelter layout. There were 5 bays in total, all the bays were linked by connecting corridors. Entrances were on both sides of the shelter. The Gotts park shelter was huge once inside. I've worked it out to be around 80 yards long (240 ft) by 8 yards (25 ft) wide. I think this is roughly the same size, and layout as the Beeston Cross Flats shelter seen below.
This is a similar sized shelter on nearby Cross Flats park. I think this shelter has to be the easiest to spot on aerial photographs. The raised mound of earth is clearly visible. There is no such luxury with the Gotts park well camouflaged shelter.
There's more Leeds shelters, and surviving war relics on my blog here
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=265602590&blogId=497370934
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