It’s a piece of history from more troubled times.
A concrete air raid shelter has been found under a York shop. And now it’s set to be removed as part of an upgrade to the building.
The street communal shelter was built under 12-16 Spurriergate in 1939 as part of Britain’s defences against air raids during the Second World War.
Documents submitted as part of a planning application say it was one of several built in the city: “The remaining shelter within the basement of 12-16 Spurriergate shows the methods of construction and strengthening of the existing building in order to protect the public from air raids.
“New reinforced concrete floors and ceilings were laid, together with 500mm deep concrete beams and steel sections which are visible in it’s current state.”
Under the plans, submitted on behalf of Park Newton Estates Ltd, the air raid shelter and concrete floor would be removed, along with a disused oil tank.
A timber staircase and floor would be added and it would be turned into usable retail space.
The application acknowledges there is ‘medium’ historical value to the shelter.
“The public air raid shelter within the basement offers some insight into the civil defence measures taken early in WW2 to protect the public against air raids,” heritage documents say.
“It also provides evidence of the design and construction of the shelter and how they were intended to protect people.”
It adds: “The shelter would be intrinsically linked to the Baedecker Raid on York raids which are a important moment in the history of the city, especially during World War II.”
But its historical value is limited, the application argues: “It is believed to be only a fragment of a larger shelter spanning across several basement, now demolished.
“As a consequence the evidential value is reduced and a full understanding of the layout of the shelter, and how it functioned cannot be readily understood from the remaining elements.”
There’s also a fireplace and oven in the basement which offer “insights into the use of the building and domestic life in the 19th century”.
Numbers 12-16 Spurriergate is a Grade II listed building dating back to about 1841. Plans to turn the upper floor offices into flats have already been given the go-ahead.
You can read and comment on the new plans here.