Air Raid Shelter, 1940’s, architect unknown, brick built, single storey partly buried below an earthen bank fronting the lane, L shaped with arched roof, un-fenestrated. No known written sources, and unknown to the local Archaeology Service until recently. The shelter sits in the grounds of a bungalow which is not included in the Local Listing. Believed to have been built and in use when the bungalow was used during WW2 by USA forces. There was a WW2 military storage area on Bucklebury Common close to Briff lane where the shelter and adjoining bungalow sit.
The bungalow at Little Corner was reputedly used by the US military as a command centre and/or lodgings for a senior officer/officers during WW2 (information not evidenced in sources, but provided from local memory). The air raid shelter is presumed to have been built at this time for use by military officers and staff based there. There was a WW2 camp on Bucklebury Common, so the bungalow would have been well placed for administration of this camp. The existence of the shelter was not known by the Archaeology Service at West Berkshire Council until notified by the Forum. Survivals of this type are rare, and this one is in fair condition, given its location. Its value lies in its link with the local military connection from WW2, and in the rarity of its survival. The intention to Locally List it, is not so much for its construction, which is unremarkable, but for its rarity as a survivor of the period, and to raise its profile in the unlikely event of future development on the site.
Please note that this asset lies within a private garden and is not publicly accessible.
HER Ref: MWB22872
Location
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