NHER 54262 (Monument) - World War Two air raid shelters

July 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The site of a group of World War Two air raid shelters within the former Norwich City Football Ground on Rosary Road, Norwich, is visible on aerial photographs (S1-S4), centred on TG 2411 0870. A line of rectangular structures, assumed to be surface air raid shelters, are arranged along the southern edge of the football ground. Clear paths running from these structures towards the area of housing to the south indicates that these were providing air raid protection for the local inhabitants. In between 1942 (S2) and 1945 (S4) an additional surface shelter with a blast wall is added to the north of the site. Although this is similar in appearance to an Air Raid Precautions (ARP) warden’s post, a surface air raid shelter seems the most likely interpretation given the context of the site.
On some of the aerial photographs it is not clear whether the slightly amorphous pits along the northern edge of the football ground relate to earlier extraction or World War Two bomb craters. The site of the former football ground overlies a series of post medieval chalk mines and the pitch is reputed to have collapsed in places due to the underlying tunnels. It is therefore likely that at least one of these relates to an exposed former chalk mine shaft or entrance. In 1945 (S4) the eastern example can clearly be seen to continue off underground in the manner of a tunnel. It is potentially feasible that the chalk mine itself was being used as an additional air raid shelter, as is known to have happened at other Norwich chalk mines. In 1945 (S4) the site is also obviously being used as a depot for wood and other materials.
S. Horlock (NMP), 01 July 2010