The Stockwell deep level shelter entrance in London, now decorated as a war memorial.
Photo credit:David Iliff/Wikimedia
Work on the shelters began in November 1940.
Each tunnel was subdivided into two decks, fully equipped with bunks, medical posts, kitchens and sanitation.
Each pill box housed lift machinery and provided the cover for spiral staircases down to the shelter’s tunnels.
The final capacity of each shelter was also reduced to 8,000 from the planned 10,000.
Access to the shelters was controlled by tickets, but the demand was not high.
The highest recorded nightly population was 12,297 on July 24, 1944, about one third of total capacity.
The shelters were used for their original purpose for less than a year.
The Clapham South shelter used to house post-war immigrants from the West Indies.
In 1951, it became the Festival Hotel providing cheap stay for visitors to the Festival of Britain.
The Clapham South shelter is now open for pre-booked tours arranged by the London Transport Museum.
Entrance to the Clapham South deep level shelter.
Now rather nicely incorporated into a block of flats.
Shelter residents are seen hear making up their bunks on the upper floor.
Photo credit:Sheep"R"Us/Flickr
Bunks in Clapham South deep level shelter.
Photo credit:Sheep"R"Us/Flickr
Clapham Common deep level shelter now houses an underground farm.
Photo credit:secretlonddon123/Flickr
Entrance to Belsize Park deep level shelter.
Photo credit:Sheep"R"Us/Flickr
Entrance to the Clapham Common deep level shelter.
Photo credit:diamond geezer/Flickr
Sources:Wikipedia/Underground History/Subterranea Britannica
