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Report - - Dodge Hill Air Raid Shelters - November 2020 | Underground Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Dodge Hill Air Raid Shelters - November 2020

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EOA

Exploring with Bob
28DL Full Member
Background Stuff and Histories

This has opened up again. Seems the grinder and sledge hammer fairies have paid a visit. As we get older and explore more, no one gives much of a fuck about tooth fairies, but the metal fairies and the grinder and sledge hammer fairies are always welcome. As well as those fairies that make locks fall off. Magic.

In 1940 ze Germans decided to bomb Stockport. To be precise - German precision - it was the 11th October 1940. It was nothing personal. The Germans bombed a lot of Europe. So, it was just as well the sensible people of Stockport had prepared for this eventuality by digging some mighty fine bomb shelters in the sandstone Stockport proudly stands upon. To clear up any confusion, these were not shelters for the bombs. They weren’t claiming asylum or stealing your jobs. The shelters were for the people to avoid the bombs, or more properly the exploding and the maiming and the dying caused by the bombs. The Stopfordian’s built their shelters from September 1938 and they opened on 28th October 1939, which was good planning. The people of Stockport were far better at building bomb shelters in a time of crisis than the current government can build an App and lay their hands on paper masks. Dodge Hill is one of those air raid shelters and could accommodate about 2000 people.

Gritty Facts: On the night of 22nd and 23rd of December and then 23rd and 24th, the Luftwaffe bombed Manchester and surrounding areas. Bombing on successive nights was one of their tactics. It's caused the maximum disruption. On those two nights, 467 tonnes of high explosives were dropped. An estimated 684 died and more than 2000 people were injured.

This is an interactive map, that shows where bombs landed during the second world war, so you can have a look for yourself. Stockport, it seems, was relatively unscathed.

Shenanigwans

The day started as most good days of shenanigwans should, hanging off the underside of a large motorway bridge on static ropes. This may or may not be done with brewdogs, depending on your safety assessment. I was with two non-members going through ropey stuff for future adventures and checking out the place in general to build a ridiculous swing for my kids, because who doesn't like ridiculous swings, right? But, we decided to pop back here on the way, because I'd seen it was open, the two chaps I was with are from Stockport and I'd wanted to poke my head in here since looking at Brinksway a few years ago.

This is me going down the concrete staircase that I imagine was the main entrance at the time. It isn't me going down the stairs, the entrance is blocked. But it is me.

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Below is a warren of tunnels cut out of the red sandstone and those tunnels all filled with bunk beds: because if there is one thing you do when you’re sheltering from massive explosions in fear of your life, it’s sleep. If you look closely you can see a cloud of Covid floating in the air at the back. It was fine. I found a discarded surgical mask on the floor and used that.

There are a few toilet blocks. Most are now smashed, but one half decent one remains. I cba taking photos of smashed up toilets though.

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It's good place for a nap if you've had a difficult day going up and down ropes.

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There are a few places that have been reinforced with concrete, which makes for a bit of a change from the carved stone. Hopefully the local council aren't implying that their citizens are fat.

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But I do like the carved stone and the chisel marks left in it.

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There are a few little features and alcoves off the main tunnels and voila, regardez vous la feature off the main tunnel.

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You cannot, obviously, everyone know this... go exploring underground and not have a silhouetted photo of you going underground. Otherwise it never happened. This is why so many robberies that have involved tunneling into banks have never been solved. There are no photos of the thieves in silhouette. So, here are the non members making their first foray into the dark chasms of shelter from the raining exploding things. And that proves they were there. Otherwise they weren’t. It’s quantum physics.

Dan and Ant One.png



And that is it. A little wander underneath Stockport and some snaps. Just a few, because it's only smol.

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Wevsky

A Predisposed Tourist
Regular User
Very nice mate,, never did see this one in the flesh. and doubt i ever will ;)
 
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Scoobysrt

Teim scoobs
28DL Full Member
Love the write up bud, we all need a bit of a laugh these days. Interesting to see, I've wanted to get in here myself for a while but its always been sealed and I suspect it is again now.
Thanks for showing me/us what its currently like.
 
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host

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Great report, this must be where the Jedi Urbex master goes to train. Love the lighting.
 
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Ojay

Admin
Staff member
Admin
Can't believe someone has cleared and swept them steps after all these years
 
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host

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Can't believe someone has cleared and swept them steps after all these years
I think mate it was the council after the fire a few years ago l remember a big hole on the street where the entrance is and a strong smell of smoke.
 
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EOA

Exploring with Bob
28DL Full Member
Cheers for the compliments on me snaps - I'd forgotten just how much I like writing and putting together reports :)

The whole place was pretty clean inside, except some cheap manky sleeping bags, some recent rubbish and old copy of home and garden magazine or something....

I always take the lightsaber along now incase I bump into the dark side of exploring ; Urban Exploring Wars - Revenge of Goons.
 
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