Recently the air raid shelter on Abbey Circus, once abandoned, was refurbished. It is now open and used by local children to understand what life was like during World War II. More than one hundred people worked on this project. It was the brainchild of Professor Chris Reynolds of Nottingham Trent University. Rushcliffe Borough Council were also involved.
The works took place over two years and it officially opened on the 13 of February 2025. It had been fully restored after a £60,000 grant from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. There is now LED lighting underneath the benches and ventilation through the thick concrete walls. Children can now explore real life history.
Air raid shelters were constructed between 1939 and 1945. There were different types of shelters, including the Anderson and Morrison shelters. Many people had them in their homes and gardens. The Abbey Circus shelter was a public shelter. Although Nottingham and West Bridgford weren’t often bombed, Nottingham did become a target. It was hit by a Nazi bombing raid on the night of May 8/9, 1941. This raid caused huge damage, and many lives were lost. This is now referred to as ‘the Nottingham Blitz’. The air raid shelter fitted approximately 50-100 people. It was surrounded by grass to make it harder for the Germans to spot.
On the 10th of May I stumbled across an open day inside the air raid shelter, where i met Prof’ Chris Reynolds and his colleague Jason King, giving an excellent talk to local residents. Afterwards I met Jason King who was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. One of the visitors was an elderly lady that remembers VE day and the celebrations that took place, she was aged about six at the time.
For more information on the air raid shelter or how to schedule a tour please see the excellent website
#airraidshelter #abbeycircusshelter #nottinghamblitz
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