SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Hi Everyone

My name is Jay, the reason for my post is that i am a graphic designer and i am looking to create a series of publications on 'Lost Leeds'

My first topic is Air Raid Shelters (parks and neighbourhoods preferably). I have browsed this site for a good 12 months and found some amazing information to help me with my own research. It really is fascinating. I recently found some info on the whereabouts and amount of these shelters that were erected for WW2 and am hoping people on here may have some more info or even images they would kindly donate (or sell) preferably donate.

I have attached some images for you to look at. Most of the trenches can be seen clearly on google earth and i'm hoping someone may be able to help with some issues.

1. whereabouts of others such as the neighbourhood ones. (ie dufton approach)
2. some aren't so clear on google (ie western flatts park , raglan road)

I know people have been inside some shelters and would love to have some images I can publish too

Thanking you all in advance

neighbourhood shelters

Hi Jay very interesting, your mother is not called Maureen is she?

Hi, no i'm afraid not. Rosenthall isn't a very common name but definately not my family

Have a very good look at "SECRET LEEDS" on FLICKR: https://flic.kr/g/a1XED

You do not have to look far: https://flic.kr/p/qDzo3j

Or am I too late?

Hi,
Thanks I have been through the flickr page its amazing. I'm hoping to get to the archives in the next couple of weeks to see if I can get any plans from building them. I'm just wondering if anybody knows exactly where some of the shelters are that aren't really visible.

Also I live near Manston Park and there is a mound next to the play area that looks just like other parks. does anyone have any info on whether this could be one? I know it may be quite far out from the city centre compared to others but i cannot find any information on it and it doesnt appear in images above either.

The area of Manston park that you've outlined was always the children's play area, the mound is a "new" feature.
If you use the rewind / timeline feature on Google Earth you'll see how the area has changed over a few years.
I recall from my childhood that the play area contained two banks of swings, a "Witch's Hat" roundabout type thing and a slide.
The general surface was gravel / cinders and as rough as hell. Beneath the swings it was paved. There was no particular surface beneath the Witch's Hat or the slide. Between the slide and the swings - to the footpath side, there had been another item of equipment, I don;t know what it had been but two large, rough pieces of concrete, complete with the remains of metal tubing, protruded from the gravel. Obviously they had been the supports of something else [a see-saw, perhaps].
The image below is from 2002 with my version of where the equipment was.

2nd image from 2006 shows quite a substantial mound of earth. I wonder if it was topsoil that had been stripped from elsewhere in the park.

3rd image from 2011 [although the same features appear in 2009] showing part of the 2006 mound removed and a new area of play equipment installed.

One of our former members was somewhat knowledgeable on the subject and had documented [in this site and others] all the existing and removed public shelters in parks and other open spaces.

Excellent that's that cleared up haha
Thanks

You will also find items of interest here http://urbexleeds.forum-motion.com/ but you will need to register to search the forums
Good Luck