The History
Time for a mini report here today. This set of sixteen air raid shelters in the town of Halstead, Essex, were built to serve the workers of Courtaulds Silk Factory during WW2. Courtaulds were a large silk manufacturer dating back to the 18th century, and first established the factory in Halstead in 1818. It saw gradual expansion over subsequent years, and continued use during WW2 including making parachutes. The factory eventually closed in 1982 and was partially demolished, although these shelters still remain on its former perimeter. Part of the silk mill also appears to survive in a restored state. There has been ongoing petitions to save the shelters and it seems to continue to cause controversy as various housing development propositions crop up and compromises are proposed. In total there are 15 concrete Cortain shelters (semi-sunken similar to Stanton shelters) and one brick surface shelter.
The factory in 1929
The Explore
Was just a brief evening's exploration but was nice to see these after hearing about these shelters a lot in the news. They were a bit mucky inside but it just goes to show that even less interesting concrete shapes can be jazzed up with a bit of creative lighting. Quite a few nice original features left on one including a male and female toilet door, but others were full of crap presumably having been used as storage. It's pretty boggy and overgrown around the shelters so it took a while to navigate in the dark and I'm sure I couldn't see anywhere near as many as sixteen. There was also a rectangular building which is the surface shelter. Before you ask no I didn't photograph them all and I edited even fewer photos.
Heritage at Risk | Halstead 21st Century Group
Time for a mini report here today. This set of sixteen air raid shelters in the town of Halstead, Essex, were built to serve the workers of Courtaulds Silk Factory during WW2. Courtaulds were a large silk manufacturer dating back to the 18th century, and first established the factory in Halstead in 1818. It saw gradual expansion over subsequent years, and continued use during WW2 including making parachutes. The factory eventually closed in 1982 and was partially demolished, although these shelters still remain on its former perimeter. Part of the silk mill also appears to survive in a restored state. There has been ongoing petitions to save the shelters and it seems to continue to cause controversy as various housing development propositions crop up and compromises are proposed. In total there are 15 concrete Cortain shelters (semi-sunken similar to Stanton shelters) and one brick surface shelter.
The factory in 1929
The Explore
Was just a brief evening's exploration but was nice to see these after hearing about these shelters a lot in the news. They were a bit mucky inside but it just goes to show that even less interesting concrete shapes can be jazzed up with a bit of creative lighting. Quite a few nice original features left on one including a male and female toilet door, but others were full of crap presumably having been used as storage. It's pretty boggy and overgrown around the shelters so it took a while to navigate in the dark and I'm sure I couldn't see anywhere near as many as sixteen. There was also a rectangular building which is the surface shelter. Before you ask no I didn't photograph them all and I edited even fewer photos.
Heritage at Risk | Halstead 21st Century Group
