We recently received this email from David Mills who is looking for any information or photographs of air raid shelters around Hyde.
If anyone has any info, please contact us :)
Over to David,
"Hi There,
I now find myself checking the Hydonian blog everyday
as it brings back so many memories to me and the site/content is
excellent.
I was wondering if you had managed to find anything
on Air Raid shelters in Hyde, as these intrigued me as a kid in the
late sixties/early seventies. I remember there being two or three at
the back of the scout hut on Dukinfield Road and
also one in the woods (we used to call Jackson Woods/blue dye woods)
between Flowery Field House and Dukinfield Road. I heard there was one
in Hyde park/woods, but we never found this.
I expect these Air Raid shelters were provided by
Ashton Brothers for their workers, but there must have been lots of Air
Raid shelters and I was wondering if any still exist or if there was an
inventory in existence?
Going through your blog, and the topics, you just
can't believe what has happened to Hyde and what's been taken away,
particularly the motorway and the houses and shops that went.
I am sorry, I don't have any photos, but I am sure somebody has! "
Here are a few photo's courtesy of John Hopwood.
Queen Street Air raid shelters located next to (and under?) the James North Bowling Green.
13 comments:
John, Barry in Oz here. There was an old Air raid shelter at the bottom of the playing fields/sports fields at Floweryfield secondary school. I don't know if it is still there.
Yes, I remember this shelter from when I was at Flowery Field Junior school during the war. We were marched across the road and down into the gloom where we all had to sit chanting tables, exactly like the scene in the film 'Yanks' I have often wondered if it is still there. They built houses right up to the bottom of the playing field in about 1990.
There were Air-Raid shelters all along the front of Greenfield school, the land was later turned into a garden by the children about 1950. There were also a couple of Air-Raid shelters in the senior boys school yard at the Boardman street end. There were a number of very deep Air-Raid shelters on the waste ground behind the library. There are still one or two Air-raid shelters just off the canal at the Bottom of Apethorn Lane. I wouldn't advice anyone to enter them, however, they are filthy. The one's at Flowery Field were demolished years ago when the tennis courts were built. There were also a number of Air-raid shelters in the grounds of Flowery Field House, and a couple behind Ashton Bros near the reservoirs on the Park Road. I also seem to remember some behind Slack Mills in the Queen Street area.
Hi
Joe Lloyd informs me they where two air raid shelters at the corner of Osborn road facing the Zion’s church there are now two semi detached houses there.
@ Jeffrey. The photos are of the ones behind Slack Mill which of course became James North.They were around the perimeter of the bowling green .
I remember some air raid shelters in Newton on Ashton Road.They were situated in a field between Talbot Road and Newton Mills.I remember a young chap falling into one and caused a bit of injury,that was in the mid fifties. I dont know when they were finally demolished
In the early 80's I can remember there being some decrepit, but large shelters, behind the old St Johns School building on Sheffield Road.
Also, I remember back as a young kid in the 70's there was a very deteriorated shelter behind Massey's Funeral Directors (now flats) on Mottram Rd.
I'm not sure if the shelters off Sheffield Rd are still there, but the one behind Massey's should still be there, what state it's in today, 30 years after I last saw it, I'd hate to think.
A recall the one's that Jeffrey mentions... these were nearby where Gib Mill was... I recall that there was three of them... One was up a flight of steps near to where the mill gates would have been... the other was right opposite these on the towards the path which lead down from the canal. The third a few yards to the left of the weir where there is now a line of trees.
I might be missing another one out... as I have a feeling there was another one as well. The Shelters were made of brick and concrete and had been dug out of bankings the sides and backs would have had added protection from the ground. There all had a small 'manhole' cover in the roof at the opposite end as the entrance.
As kids we played in them, but they were a bit smelly..
The were covered over quite a few years ago now.
I bet there's still a few anderson shelters in back gardens still being put to use now.
My grandmother named Florence Potts lived on Queen st for many years, and me and my brother used to play war games in the shelters around James North's bowling green They were obviously damp and dark and full of litter. The last time I entered one I would have been about 10 years old and rushed in with a haste, only to feel something hit my shoulder in the dark with a thud and scramble over scratching me in the process. Terrified I scarpered out as fast as my legs would carry me, only to be met by my ashen faced brother inquiring as to whether I had just seen the size of the rat that had just vacated the shelter. Needless to say I never ventured back in again.
The shelters behind the old Godley school, i think were demolished when the new housing estate was built about 5years ago.we used to play in them as kids ,it was considered areal dare if you had the guts to go in ,they were pitch black and full of rats.
Hi Author
I appreciate you for all the valuable information that you are providing us through your blog.
hi all, i was mooching around near the Ashton Bros in hyde the other week and came across 1 of the bomb shelter, im going back with a small camera and a torch strapped to a stick/bar and take a few pics, and if it opens up inside im going to stabilize the entrance and go in for a further look.
hi all, i was mooching around near the Ashton Bros in hyde the other week and came across 1 of the bomb shelter, im going back with a small camera and a torch strapped to a stick/bar and take a few pics, and if it opens up inside im going to stabilize the entrance and go in for a further look.
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