Engineers uncover forgotten air raid shelter in Hammersmith

One of the best-preserved air raid shelters found in London has been uncovered in Hammersmith by engineers tackling water leaks.

Sealed up and forgotten for more than 75 years, the reinforced concrete bunker — seven metres long and two metres wide — would have been large and strong enough to protect several families from bombing raids during the Second World War. At one end was a concrete staircase, with an escape hatch at the other. A metal door was propped up against a wall.

Dave Axon was one of the Thames Water engineers who found the bunker, at the bottom of Standish Road, next to the A4, as his team was attempting to install leak-detection equipment on a 30-inch trunk main.

“Normally they’re full of water, or rubbish, or vandalised, but an archaeologist said this was like opening the door into a brand new one,” he said.