Clapham Deep-Level Bomb Shelter To Be Transformed Into Cafe

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 99 months ago
Clapham Deep-Level Bomb Shelter To Be Transformed Into Cafe

A listed World War Two shelter in Clapham will be turned into a cafe and exhibition area, according to new plans.

The rotunda, on Clapham Common, is owned by Transport for London, which has been granted permission to bring the shelter back to life with a cafe or restaurant, and space for an exhibition about the building's history.

Underneath the rotunda lie eight deep-level air-raid shelters, built between 1940 and 1942. As part of the redevelopment plans, London Transport Museum will run Hidden London tours of the tunnels.

Up to 8,000 Londoners took cover in the tunnels during V1 and V2 air raids on London in 1944. Following this, 492 Jamaican migrants who arrived on HMT Empire Windrush were temporarily housed in the shelter. The space has also been rented out as secure archive storage space in the past.

The shelter was given Grade II listed status in 1998 in recognition of its history; it is the only deep-level shelter remaining that retains much of the original signage and is one of the few to retain many of the original bunk beds.

Construction work is expected to start in mid 2016.

Last Updated 21 December 2015

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