Visit Second World War shelter hidden below Clapham South Underground station

3 posts
Community Editor
Posts: 3862
Joined: Sep 2018
Options:
Share this post on:

Visit Second World War shelter hidden below Clapham South Underground station

Postby Community Editor » Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:37 am

The Blitz  hit London hard, with around 1.2million homes thought to be destroyed by German bombs.There are still reminders of the impact the Second World War had on the capital, one being air raid shelters hidden undetected for years. 

Initially people took shelter in London Underground stations, but as the Luftwaffe bombings got more intense the government decided it was time to build huge air raid shelters even deeper below ground, ones that were able to hold thousands of people.

One such shelter is located under Clapham South, with almost a mile of passageways and 120 steps down to the shelter.

At the height of the war, the Clapham South shelter had capacity for 8,000 Londoners, with each person assigned their own bed, the frames of which you can still see.

The London Transport Museum has opened the underground bunker up, offering the public tours and the chance to find out the stories of people who took refuge during the German attacks.

The Windrush generation also sheltered there after their arrival in London in 1948, adding another layer to the subterranean network's history.

The Subterranean shelter tours run on Wednesdays - Sundays between 28 February and 29 March.

Matinee tickets are available for tours taking place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays starting before 16:00. 

Please note children under 14 years old are not permitted due to safety reasons.

If you're interested in taking a tour of the historical bunker see the London Transport Museum's website for more details and to book tickets.

Photo credit: London Transport Museum
Attachments
0_Deep-level-shelter-at-Clapham-South-1942-C-TfL-from-London-Transport-Museums-collection.jpg
Post Reply
FrankJ
Posts: 43
Joined: Aug 2019
Options:
Share this post on:

Re: Visit Second World War shelter hidden below Clapham South Underground station

Postby FrankJ » Thu Jan 23, 2020 2:26 pm

Thanks for putting this. I have just booked my tickets.!
Post Reply
Community Editor
Posts: 3862
Joined: Sep 2018
Options:
Share this post on:

Re: Visit Second World War shelter hidden below Clapham South Underground station

Postby Community Editor » Mon Jan 27, 2020 1:27 pm

Great! Glad to be of service! Enjoy and feel free to let us know what it's like!
Post Reply

Start a conversation
To create a new post and start a new conversation, please click on the button.