Brief History:
The Portsmouth War Emergency Committee was considering the possibility of providing the civilian air-raid shelters by tunnelling the chalk pits on Portsdown, and at a meeting held on 11 June 1941 the City Engineer reported that although he had not received definite instructions from the Ministry of Home Security to proceed, he had been told verbally to get the Contractors started on the work of excavating the tunnels. The total capacity of the shelters was to be at least 5,000 persons.
It was agreed that admission tickets should be given on the following basis: priority to mothers with children, in which case the husbands would also be admitted. The first degree of priority in these cases to be given where the people did not have bunkered shelters of their own in which they could sleep. Claims were to be considered irrespective of income and of the areas in which people normally lived.
A report from the Assistant Chief Warden on the administration of the deep tunnel shelters was submitted on 3rd September 1941, and as a result the appointment of various personnel such as Shelter Superintendents, Shelter Wardens etc was approved. Eight Wardens, including two women, were subsequently appointed.
Joseph Parkin, the Portsmouth City Engineer, drew-up prototype plans of the shelters, initially for 1,017 people, which was rapidly expanded to 5,100 people in two separate shelters less than a mile apart: the Wymering Tunnel Shelter, and the London Road Tunnel Shelter. Note that this figure refers to the total capacity of both shelters not just to that at Wymering as is often quoted. The combined length of the shelters was 1.8 miles, and the total cost of construction was £73,298 at 1943 prices. Part of the specification stated that a person should only have to pass 60 sleeping people to get access to a clear corridor.
To speed up construction multiple adits (a horizontal tunnel leading away from the point of entry) were made into the chalk face, corresponding to every tunnel 90 degrees from it. On completion all but the main and two escape portals were sealed up. Eight adits were made for the Wymering Shelter which is why a large black painted number '5' appears in original photos next to the main entrance; it was the fifth adit from the left. The west (left) escape route being number 1, and the east number 8. Ten adits were made for the London Road shelter. Each adit was 39 feet 9 inches between centres.
The construction work was started in July 1941 by Sir Robert McAlpine's Construction Company. Unfortunately no record of this event exists with the company today.
The Explore:
Visited with @Minor
I had briefly discussed this shelter a few months ago with @Bertie Bollockbrains, and seeing as no reports had gone up since 2011 we concluded that it must have still been sealed but none the less i told him if i went i would check it out and tell him the outcome, well bertie as you can see its accessible again.
we went to look at the site after doing another but it was still daylight,we were not 100% it was accessible and being right by a whole load of houses we decided it would be better to come back after dark. once arriving back under the cover of night we easily slipped inside unnoticed and wow !! This shelter is big, clean for the most part and just wow !! i do love me a deep shelter and this one is brilliant.
onto the pics
thanks for looking
The Portsmouth War Emergency Committee was considering the possibility of providing the civilian air-raid shelters by tunnelling the chalk pits on Portsdown, and at a meeting held on 11 June 1941 the City Engineer reported that although he had not received definite instructions from the Ministry of Home Security to proceed, he had been told verbally to get the Contractors started on the work of excavating the tunnels. The total capacity of the shelters was to be at least 5,000 persons.
It was agreed that admission tickets should be given on the following basis: priority to mothers with children, in which case the husbands would also be admitted. The first degree of priority in these cases to be given where the people did not have bunkered shelters of their own in which they could sleep. Claims were to be considered irrespective of income and of the areas in which people normally lived.
A report from the Assistant Chief Warden on the administration of the deep tunnel shelters was submitted on 3rd September 1941, and as a result the appointment of various personnel such as Shelter Superintendents, Shelter Wardens etc was approved. Eight Wardens, including two women, were subsequently appointed.
Joseph Parkin, the Portsmouth City Engineer, drew-up prototype plans of the shelters, initially for 1,017 people, which was rapidly expanded to 5,100 people in two separate shelters less than a mile apart: the Wymering Tunnel Shelter, and the London Road Tunnel Shelter. Note that this figure refers to the total capacity of both shelters not just to that at Wymering as is often quoted. The combined length of the shelters was 1.8 miles, and the total cost of construction was £73,298 at 1943 prices. Part of the specification stated that a person should only have to pass 60 sleeping people to get access to a clear corridor.
To speed up construction multiple adits (a horizontal tunnel leading away from the point of entry) were made into the chalk face, corresponding to every tunnel 90 degrees from it. On completion all but the main and two escape portals were sealed up. Eight adits were made for the Wymering Shelter which is why a large black painted number '5' appears in original photos next to the main entrance; it was the fifth adit from the left. The west (left) escape route being number 1, and the east number 8. Ten adits were made for the London Road shelter. Each adit was 39 feet 9 inches between centres.
The construction work was started in July 1941 by Sir Robert McAlpine's Construction Company. Unfortunately no record of this event exists with the company today.
The Explore:
Visited with @Minor
I had briefly discussed this shelter a few months ago with @Bertie Bollockbrains, and seeing as no reports had gone up since 2011 we concluded that it must have still been sealed but none the less i told him if i went i would check it out and tell him the outcome, well bertie as you can see its accessible again.
we went to look at the site after doing another but it was still daylight,we were not 100% it was accessible and being right by a whole load of houses we decided it would be better to come back after dark. once arriving back under the cover of night we easily slipped inside unnoticed and wow !! This shelter is big, clean for the most part and just wow !! i do love me a deep shelter and this one is brilliant.
onto the pics
thanks for looking
