Hidden under Clifford Road Primary School’s playground, in the suburbs of Ipswich, is a preserved shelter from during World War Two.
Originally built during the first three months of the war, this air raid shelter was discovered in 1989 when work was being carried out at the school, and one of the workmen stumbled upon this sealed up shelter.
Thirteen stairways were built, linking to the classrooms of the school for use in the event of bombings during the war. One section of the shelter which forms the museum reveals how the shelter would have been used, including bare wooden benches, concrete walls, paraffin lighting, and chemical toilet.
At one time the shelter would have had anti-blast doors on each section, to increase the containment, but which also decreased the ventilation.
Still in use today are the Soakaways which are found at the foot of each stairwell and which are linked to the main school drainage system.
The floor of the shelter was designed to withstand a blast coming upwards from a buried bomb, and is four feet thick. Local Education Authority surveyors have judged that the structure is so solid that it may well out-live the school building itself.
