Air Raid Precaution Centre

Air Raid Precaution, 2007

© Lisa Rigg

Rossendale Street, E5

Built in 1938 this air raid shelter is probably Hackney's only surviving structure of this kind. In the last few months the upper part of this building has been demolished and the remainder of the building is suffering from flooding and is in a very poor condition.

The listing description is as follows:

'Bunker built as Air Raid Precaution Centre. 1938. Concrete, approximately 2 metres thick and set about 1.2 metres below ground level as a half basement. Crudely built walls with shuttering lines; some shrapnel damage, particularly to the west face. Rectangular in plan, with long axis running on east-west line; all corners chamfered except for the southwest. Steps down at south corner, west face, into air lock: pair of steel doors with portholes, rubber gaskets and furniture of original design. Corridor along south wall giving access to Messenger's Room, Telephone Room and, at the east end of the bunker, the Supervisor's Office and Map Room. Reached by a short fixed ladder in the east wall of the Supervisor's Office and Map Room is a circular escape hatch to air lock; outer lock door has been removed. Entered off Messenger's room, and located at the west end of the block, are the Store Room and Machine Room. The Machine Room retains original plant for air supply and purification and emergency electricity supply, as well as ventilator ducts running from this room to the rest, along the north wall. The Electric generator pedal driven by a twin bicycle frame survives as does the tiered air filter units made by Sutcliffe Speakman and Co., Ltd. of Leigh, Lancs. On the north wall is a battery control unit made by the Chloride Electrical Storage Co. Ltd.,
linked to a chest on the floor which held a 12-volt battery for emergency lighting and heating. Two 12-volt light fittings survive in the ceiling. The storey above, flat roofed and made from brick, has been extensively altered: the earliest section is to the south. Concrete roof with shuttering lines throughout upper floor. The Rossendale Street ARPC was the northern report centre, part of a system which included a main centre located below Hackney Town Hall. It was used to co-ordinate information on bombing raids, for the deployment of teams for emergency rescue and repair work.'

Potential uses for this building are very limited, but it was 'adopted' as a monument by a local school, and could with some imagination be used for local children to visit as part of their history education.