Eastern air raid shelter at Carrow Works

A purpose-built air raid shelter tunnel constructed in 1939.

MATERIALS: the shelter has shuttered concrete entrance portals and is walled in corrugated steel with additional structural steel ribs.

PLAN: the shelter is planned as a horseshoe shaped tunnel with entrances/exits at each end.

EXTERIOR: the entrances consist of rounded openings in-filled by later C20 wooden doorways, set into shuttered concrete surrounds.

INTERIOR: the north-south tunnels are narrower, formed from ribs with a rectangular rather than semi-circular section. This widens at the south eastern corner to meet the east-west tunnel and to allow space for a block of lavatory cubicles. The east-west tunnel is strengthened by timber posts and three reinforcing brick walls laid in English bond.

There are 7 women's lavatories at the south east corner, and 11 men's stalls along the south side of the east-west tunnel, identified by painted signs. The cubicles are made of pine with simple canvas-covered doors and have hinged wooden benches with holes, under which a bucket could be placed.

The wider south tunnel and the south-east corner feature the concrete bases of perimeter benches, the wooden seat of which remains at the south-west corner.