private fall-out shelters
simon westcott
owned fall-out shelters in London and or the south east of england.
At the height of the cold war a number of architectural and engineering
books were published giving the spec that would be owners and presumably
their builders and architects should aim at.....but were any such shelters
actually built?
Presumably there must have been some super rich and would be immortals
around at that time who would have gone for the domestic shelter option.
Any help, with locations, names and even contact phone number would be
greatly appreciated.
much thanks in advance
simon westcott
swes...@easynet.co.uk
dkip...@bcit.bc.ca
"simon westcott" <swes...@easynet.co.uk> wrote:
> Hi, I'm trying to discover the whereabouts of privately constructed
and
> owned fall-out shelters in London and or the south east of england.
>
> At the height of the cold war a number of architectural and
engineering
> books were published giving the spec that would be owners and
presumably
> their builders and architects should aim at.....but were any such
shelters
> actually built?
>
> Presumably there must have been some super rich and would be immortals
> around at that time who would have gone for the domestic shelter
option.
Garibaldi Road, Redhill, Surrey. The WW2 occupant had dug a bomb
shelter in the back garden, and some time after the war, despairing of
finding enough rubble to re-fill it, tipped a Morris 8 into the hole and
lightly covered the "top" (its boot) with earth, and planted the garden
again. I trod on the thing and almost went through the rusted boot lid.
An elderly neighbour recognized the spot. We just piled more earth and
moved on. I wonder ------?
BTW, reminiscences coming, that house was notorious before I moved in
with 3 mates. The immediately previous occupants had been "The Tribe of
the Sacred Mushroom", and they'd painted the whole kitchen with gold
paint. Wow, man. When I signed on at the local Labour, the bloke said
"21 Garibaldi? Forget it!" Memories. The local art school would sneak
in the downstairs window at night and sleep on the floor (they had
befriended the mushrooms). Oh well, there's a private shelter for you.
Happy searching! DK ***
>
> Any help, with locations, names and even contact phone number would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> much thanks in advance
>
> simon westcott
> swes...@easynet.co.uk
>
>
--
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Zasgar
The whole thing was build in the mid 80ies. They have 4 underground floors
and it more than 1 year of construction for the building to reach ground
level. The bunker also containes vaults for his valuables.
MK
I know Germany is not in London and the south east.
<dkip...@bcit.bc.ca> schrieb in im Newsbeitrag:
95sl36$ckj$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
dkip...@bcit.bc.ca
"Zasgar" <zas...@uebermensch.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> I know one guy in Germany who has got his own bunker in his private
house.
> The whole thing was build in the mid 80ies. They have 4 underground
floors
> and it more than 1 year of construction for the building to reach
ground
> level.
*** Only slightly OT: a super short SciFi novel by J.G. Ballard,
"THE WIND FROM NOWHERE", includes a wealthy megalomaniac who
constructs the ultimate bunker as protection from a monstrous
world-wide hurricane. Good story, though the bunker is only part of
it. Recommend it. That good old basic survival question: what
would you / could you DO in the face of global collapse?
DK, Canada***
R L Driver
have been the case for at least 10 years. Steve taylor
simon westcott <swes...@easynet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Q7gg6.26071$_B6.2...@monolith.news.easynet.net...
Nick Catford
I'm sure I have told you about this but there is a private fall out shelter
at Godstone, Surrey. You will find details on my web site
www.swanley1.freeserve.co.uk follow the links to cold war and Godstone. This
is a very substantial private shelter. There is a smaller one at Pluckley
in Kent. See report below.
Nick
A COLD WAR RELIC IN PLUCKILY
While researching a report on the present condition of Kent's 47 underground
Royal Observer Corps posts, I came across a fascinating reminder of the cold
war at Pluckley, near Ashford. In the rear garden of Prebbles Hill Cottage,
in New Road, a domestic nuclear fall out shelter is to be found amongst the
garden gnomes. The shelter was built in June 1962 by Fall Out Shelters
(Deal, Kent) Ltd. at a cost of £920. It is described as their BX model and
is designed for 12 adults.
According to the company's brochure: 'These shelters are designed to
withstand great stress and are virtually indestructible. They will protect
their occupants against all known nuclear hazards. They are both blast proof
and fall-out shelters. Fall Out Shelters (Deal, Kent) Ltd. build every type
of nuclear shelter to suit most areas and conditions. They are constructed
only of the best materials and are tested at every stage of manufacture.
Family shelters are designed for three, four, eight and twelve persons. We
also design special shelters to house more than 12 persons, for factories or
offices etc. Shelters are also designed for storing art treasures and
valuables and in some cases we can modify a cellar to suit certain shelter
requirements in fringe or rural areas. There are three types of shelter in
production to suit any area in Great Britain, the types A & B both
accommodate four persons. Their basic design is such that we can add other
prefabricated sections to the unit so that it will accommodate eight or
twelve persons (Hence the BX at Pluckley), with additional entrance and
ventilator, fresh water tank system, goods store and toilet. The length of
time spent in a shelter in the event of a nuclear explosion would be
dependent upon the density of the radio-active fall-out. The minimum time
would be 48 hours, with a maximum of six or seven days. It is obvious then
that the shelter would be your home, with all your necessities and supplies
to hand. Remember it could be some time before services were resumed again,
and your shelter can hold supplies of food and water etc., for 30 days.
All shelters manufactured by Fall-Out Shelters (Deal, Kent) Ltd. (unless
they receive a direct hit) are 100% safe in a war of conventional weapons.
The shelters are blast-proof, fire-proof and damp proof They are
prefabricated, precast vibrated concrete units, reinforced with steel and
due to their unique design, will withstand great stress.
The three types of shelter in production are: 'A' type shelter - Designed
for industrial areas, cities, docks etc., where the possibility of a nuclear
attack would be most probable. We consider this shelter will be 95% safe
from nuclear hazard. if in the area 5 miles from ground zero of a 10 - 15
megaton bomb, and 95% safe if one mile from a 20 kiloton bomb. 'B' type
shelter - This is essentially a fringe shelter by our standards, although it
is heavier and able to withstand greater stresses than most front line
continental shelters. It is considered 95% safe against nuclear hazards at
6.5 - 7miles from ground zero of a 10- 15 megaton bomb and 95% safe 2 miles
from ground zero of a 20 kiloton bomb. 'C' type shelter - We endeavour at
all times to keep the cost of these shelters down to a minimum and the 'C'
type shelters have been designed especially for the man, his wife and one
child. It is the cheapest fall-out shelter in the world and although it was
designed with rural areas in mind, it can be strengthened to a fringe area
shelter. We consider it 95% safe 2.5 miles from ground zero of a 20 kiloton
bomb. It incorporates the same ventilating unit as 'A' and 'B' type
shelters.'
'A good family shelter will cost no more than a good second hand car. There
are no running costs to consider and of course no depreciation. It does not
date, the are no survey fees to pay and the foundation and erection are
included in the cost.' At the surface there are two hinged convex steel
hatches and two 'mushroom' shaped air vents. The roof of the shelter is 1
metre below ground level and the shelter is accessed by a removable steel
ladder. The shelter takes the form of a buried concrete cylinder 6.62 metres
long and 1.7 metres wide. A flat concrete floor divides the cylinder into
two unequal parts giving a floor to ceiling height of 1.8 metres. There is
an access hatch at one end which cannot be opened but it would appear to
lead to toilets and a battery compartment beneath the floor.
The manufacturers artists impression of a fully furnished type 'BX' shelter,
which this one never was, shows four double beds (presumably thee are two
more), cupboards and storage areas. It makes the shelter look quite spacious
which it certainly isn't. The toilets on the lower level must have been very
cramped as they are shown as less than half the height of the main 'living'
area. The two rotary controls for the vents protrude down from the roof
necessitating a duck to avoid serious head injury not that the beds would
have left much room to walk around.
Apart from some rust on the rotary vent controls and the rotary control to
the lower level hatch, the shelter is still in good condition. The owner,
Ken Rawlings, has used it as a wine cellar in the past but he found it was
too damp so it is now unused. He has considered removing the soil cover and
the roof to create an ornamental pond but I hope I have persuaded him to
drop this idea. It is interesting to note that the shelter was constructed 1
year after the nearby underground ROC post, MAIDSTONE 30 (now also owned by
Ken Rawlings) was opened. No doubt the then owner of the cottage had a
conversation with his ROC neighbours about the dangers of nuclear fall-out
in the event of an attack.
Nick Catford
David
Fulford York
simon westcott wrote in message ...
Stanley Accrington
>Hi, I'm trying to discover the whereabouts of privately constructed and
>owned fall-out shelters in London and or the south east of england.
There is a fall-out shelter constructed under the office building HQ of
M.J.Gleeson (Contractors) Inc. on the London Road in North Cheam, near
Sutton, Surrey.
Gleesons was a large and successful building company, and the owner built
this office building in the middle of the cold war. It is three stories high
with a car park underneath, and built into the hill. Under the end of
the building that is embedded in the hill is a small personal fall-out
shelter for Mr Gleeson and his family.
It is made of reinforced concrete, using the best practices of the day.
One access is from outside the building. A heavy door-sized metal grille
bars the way. The grille is accessible from outside, and prevents further
passage down that corridor. The shelter is accessible from inside the
building too.
Paul Wells
Do you know any more about "Fall Out Shelters (Deal, Kent) Ltd", my home
town? I may try to find it anyone related to the business is still around
town.
Paul
"Nick Catford" <Ni...@swanley1.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:965uqc$cpi$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
Zasgar
R L Driver <stev...@lineone.net> schrieb in im Newsbeitrag:
t8ahr2s...@corp.supernews.co.uk...
> Every new house built in Switzerland has a fallout shelter . This seems to
> have been the case for at least 10 years. Steve taylor
I lived in a newly build apartment block in St. Gallen from 94 to 96 and we
did not have a fallout shelter( but we had a heated ramp to the undergroud
car park, highly recomended)
MK