Timber Lined Trench Air-Raid Shelter Excavated
What appears to be the rare survival of a World War Two trench-type air-raid shelter has been excavated near a former South Gloucestershire school. Archaeologists looking for a possible Roman settlement in the area of the former Downend Lower School uncovered part of the feature during excavations in advance of development uncovered part of what appears to be a timber lined zig zag trench. Although it may be a World War One practice trench an air-raid shelter to serve the school would seem more likely. The zig zag trace was intended to minimise a bomb blast at one end of the trench. Timber lined and roofed shelters (with a topping of soil) were first dug in the UK in 1938 during the Munich crisis. They were quite common in Spain during the Civil War. Few if any such structures appear to have been noted before in excavations. perhaps because they were quite quickly replaced by more substantial structures.