I went down into the old Stockport Air Raid Shelters yesterday. They are tunnels dug into the sandstone cliff and they go right underneath the town centre. During the Blitz thousands of people would hide in perfect safety in the tunnels while the bombs were dropping.
The tunnels are great. They are about 1 mile long and could provide shelter for 6,500 people. The shelters were fitted with basic amenities: electric lights, benches and bunk beds, flushing toilets (not pretty), first aid post and sick bay. During the war the shelters were nicknamed the Chestergate Hotel because of the ‘luxurious’ standard of accommodation they offered.
It only costs £4.50 to go down into the tunnels but guided tours do cost more. There is the inevitable gift shop but I didn’t see a café. If you are stuck for something to do this summer you could do a lot worse than visit the Stockport Air Raid Shelters.
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