Friday 15 February 2013

The Air Raid Shelter in The War Memorial Park


If you take a walk along the path from the main War Memorial Park Car Park and head towards 'Coat of Arms Bridge' then you will eventually come across this interesting concrete shape built in to the ground next to a small tree covered area.



This is the entrance to a Second World War air raid shelter. In the distance you can see the square concrete secondary hole located at presumably the other end of the shelter underground. This shelter has been completely filled in and had become overgrown, hidden from view, until the 'Friends of the War Memorial Park' cleared the entrance recently. Presumably if dug out this would reveal steps leading down between the concrete walls in to the shelter. As there was barrage balloons and anti aircraft guns located in the park it has been mentioned that this shelter was used for both the storing of equipment and the protection of the people operating these devices.



Seeing these strange concrete shapes in the ground has made me think I am sure I have seen similar things in other places but cant quite picture exactly where. A great example however of a change in the landscape due to the war that still exists to this day. Before the site was cleared to the present state and before the information plaques had been put up nearby I wonder how many people had walked past this blissfully unaware of the history they were passing.




View Coventry War Memorial Park Air Raid Shelter in a larger map