World War II air raid shelters and defenses in the Liverpool area

[davegore2005]

Here is one for the history buffs among us, my family and myself were walking on the path from the coastguard station out towards Hightown and Formby today and I mentioned to my wife that there used to be what I imagine to be old air raid shelters dug into the sand dunes somewhere along there, I remember climbing down into them when when I was many years younger.

We walked as far as the waste water treatment pumping plant but for the life of me i could not place where the shelters were, or even how far they are from the coastguard station...any help to jog my memory would be gladly appreciated

Dave

[MarkA]

I remember seeing them last summer. Can't pinpoint them exactly but we walked a bit further inland along the edge of the golf course walking back to the coastguard station. There was a fenced off part that was presumably for the Natterjacks, then there was a large sand dune and just past that there was what looked like the back of large pill boxes facing inland. Sorry I can't be any more specific.

[ChrisGeorge]

Here is one for the history buffs among us, my family and myself were walking on the path from the coastguard station out towards Hightown and Formby today and I mentioned to my wife that there used to be what I imagine to be old air raid shelters dug into the sand dunes somewhere along there, I remember climbing down into them when when I was many years younger.

We walked as far as the waste water treatment pumping plant but for the life of me i could not place where the shelters were, or even how far they are from the coastguard station...any help to jog my memory would be gladly appreciated

Dave

Hi Dave

As MarkA mentions, it sounds as if you are talking about pill boxes for coastal defense rather than air raid shelters.

Chris

[sconhead]

there was a ROC post there and i think it has been destroyed now it was in the fenced off area near the coast guard station

[snappel]

The structures you refer to are pillboxes. I explored them (in all of about 2 minutes!!) a year or so ago. I'd hoped there would be some link tunnels and things, but they're individual pillboxes once used for the defence of the Mersey Estuary.

I know that Formby's ROC post still exists, although it's in bad shape and totally stripped/burnt out inside. Last time I was up there you could get inside it, although obviously not much to see now...

[Degsy_b]

Hi,

I have a map on my website of the area you refer to www.worldwar2defences.co.uk The structures are part of old Fort Crosby and it did defend the estuary. The site was built before both world wars but was beefed up during the second world war to defend the North Western Approaches. If you're interested in WW2 Pillboxes and defence structures in merseyside there are more on my website. I am constantly adding locations there are so many it is going to take me a long time to photograph and add them all!

Hope that helps

Derek

[Ged]

Very interesting that, I used to wonder what that concrete construction in Clarkes Gardens was, I guessed it had something to do with the war but wondered why one, out on a limb like that. I remember the anti tank/landing craft triangular concrete structures on Crosby beach in the late 1960s or am I dreaming?

[DaisyChains]

I just wondered if there are any other air raid shelters still about in Liverpool?

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi,

I have a map on my website of the area you refer to www.worldwar2defences.co.uk The structures are part of old Fort Crosby and it did defend the estuary. The site was built before both world wars but was beefed up during the second world war to defend the North Western Approaches. If you're interested in WW2 Pillboxes and defence structures in merseyside there are more on my website. I am constantly adding locations there are so many it is going to take me a long time to photograph and add them all!

Hope that helps

Derek

Hi Derek

Thanks for pointing us to your very interesting site. I had a look at the interactive map. I seem to remember dragon's teeth in the fields to the south of the railway bridge on Speke Hall Road. They would have been across the road from the Retail Park but south of the bridge. Am I remembering correctly? This would have been in the Fifties or early Sixties.

I am sure you can answer DaisyChains query about whether there are any other air raid shelters still about in Liverpool. Of course, the Western Approaches Command Centre at Derby House would be one, but I wonder if there might be other air raid shelters in Liverpool still in existence but derelict or put to other uses? In the postwar years, my grandfather used my family's old Anderson shelter as a toolshed and I am sure other Liverpudlians did likewise, so there may be a few of those around as well.

Chris

[Cadfael]

I just wondered if there are any other air raid shelters still about in Liverpool?

I know of one in Childwall in someone's back garden!

[ChrisGeorge]

Excellent pics and information, snappel. Thanks!

All the best

Chris

[marky]

I know 3 pillboxes in Liverpool. Clarke Gardens, 2 at Garston Docks. One of the Garston ones can be seen from the very Southern end of Cressington Esplanade. You have to lean out over the raillings and look left to see it.
I have heard there are a couple more around Hunts Cross/Speke (or used to be).
There used to be a pillbox at the rear of the Army base at Aigburth Road, but with all the new houses around St Michaels, I guess it went years ago. I last saw that one about 30 years ago.
I have a distant memory of seeing those pyramid defenses around Oglet beach, possibly around the 'dungeon'. There are also modern-day copies of these pyramids, to keep motorbikes out of parks etc.

[PhilipG]

The Park Nook site in Ullet Road/Princes Park had what I'm sure were air-raid shelters until a couple of years ago when they built new flats on the site.

[Degsy_b]

Hi,

Erm there's so much information coming thick and fast I don't know where to start answering! Firstly I'd be very grateful if people here would submit pictures and locations of pillboxes they know of and aren't on my site. As for any remaining air raid shelters there are some recorded in the British Archaeological survey, any one interested can check out http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/search/map.cfm I haven't managed to track any down myself, but I think there's one in Kirkby and there are a few recorded on the Wirral. Again if anyone can pinpoint these structures for me I'd be hugely appreciative. I love the pictures of the basement shelter, is it the royal Liverbuildings? Can I use the pictures on my site? Can people visit them?

I know of a Pillbox at Garston docks right by the shore line. I don't know of the other one, so if you could tell me where that is? that would be great! I had a look for the pillbox at St Michael's hamlet behind the TA barracks about 5 months ago and I think it has been lost to housing development, it was a a Type 23 anti aircraft pillbox and it still recorded on the Brit Arch Survey.

Thanks for everyones contibutions what a fabulous response!

Derek

[snappel]

I love the pictures of the basement shelter, is it the royal Liverbuildings? Can I use the pictures on my site? Can people visit them?

It's the Royal Insurance Building - it's got a gold dome on the top, and has been vacant for some years now. It's not publicly accessible I'm afraid - my access was through a basement window, which unfortunately has now been boarded up as I'd love to have another look round.

I'll sort you out some better quality photos if you like - I have better ones than those above. I'm happy for photos to be used on other peoples' websites free of charge - all I ask is that they retain my small watermark so that people know where they came from.

PhilipG - are these the ones you meant? I went to photograph them back in 2004, but builders were already on site. All gone now.

http://www.williamsontunnels.com/articles/martineau.htm