WWII Shelter, Dunbarton House, 70 Dunbarton Street, Loughans, Gilford, CRAIGAVON, BT63 6HJ

An air raid shelter built circa 1940, located within the grounds of Dunbarton House and of historical and military interest as an unusual surviving example of this building type. It represents part of the more recent history of Dunbarton House and forms part of a complex of buildings with a notable history related to the linen industry and the Second World War.

The shelter is a single-storey structure constructed in concrete and built underground beneath the main terrace on which Dunbarton House sits, rendering it largely invisible except for its entrance (door now removed) on the southern side. A narrow passageway leads to an enclosed room devoid of any decoration or detail. The structure is submerged into a heavily vegetated knoll with low retaining dry-stone approach walls. Roofing is concrete with slate and timber elements. Walls are of masonry construction. There are no windows.

During the Second World War, Dunbarton House was used as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers, and the shelter was built for the use of the personnel and patients. The shelter was constructed by 297 Company of the Royal Engineers, one of the battalions based in Gilford Castle demesne during the war. The Commanding Officer of the Company was friendly with Mr Moodie, Managing Director of Gilford Mill, who lived at Dunbarton House. This same company of soldiers also cleared out a former reservoir for the mill situated in the grounds, converting it into a concrete swimming pool that, at the time, was one of only two in Northern Ireland suitable for hosting international events. The pool was widely used during and after the war but has now been lost.

Gilford served as a major training ground for British and American troops during the war, with large concentrations of army personnel based there. The first British troops arrived shortly after the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, with most remaining until early 1944. The shelter was listed in 1994 as a rare surviving example of a structure built specifically for civilian protection during the war.