Information for record number MWA7998:
Blast Shelter, RAF Atherstone on Stour

Summary The site of a Second World War air raid shelter which was associated with the airfield to the north east of Atherstone on Stour. It is situated on the east side of the airfield, 800m north of Beecham Spinney.
What Is It?  
Type: Air Raid Shelter
Period: Unknown
Where Is It?  
Parish: Atherstone on Stour
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 21 51
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1 This is a type of air raid shelter known as a 'Blast Shelter'. It is a simple earthwork with brick retaining walls but no roof. With two entrances the enclosed area is about 29ft x 11ft (8.8 x 2.8m). Generally in fair condition, though the earth embankments have eroded to reveal the upper courses of brickwork.
2 Sketch.
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Plan
Title: Blast shelter - Atherstone Airfield
Author/originator: Brace, J
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Field Visit Notes
Author/originator: Brace, J
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
technique Earthwork Earthworks can take the form of banks, ditches and mounds. They are usually created for a specific purpose. A bank, for example, might be the remains of a boundary between two or more fields. Some earthworks may be all that remains of a collapsed building, for example, the grassed-over remains of building foundations.

In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky than during the other seasons, earthworks have larger shadows. From the air, archaeologists are able to see the patterns of the earthworks more easily. Earthworks can sometimes be confusing when viewed at ground level, but from above, the general plan is much clearer.

Archaeologists often carry out an aerial survey or an earthwork survey to help them understand the lumps and bumps they can see on the ground.
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monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument EMBANKMENT * A long ridge of earth, rocks or gravel primarily constructed to carry a roadway. back
monument FAIR * A site where a periodical gathering of buyers, sellers and entertainers, meet at a time ordained by charter or statute or by ancient custom. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument AIR RAID SHELTER * A fortified structure used to protect civilians and military personnel from enemy bombing. back
monument AIRFIELD * An area or site used for the landing and take-off of aircraft, often including associated buildings, equipment and other installations. back
monument BLAST SHELTER * A structure, usually of earth and concrete, and usually, although not always, subterranean, designed for protection against explosives back
monument RETAINING WALL * A wall constructed for the purpose of confining or supporting a mass of earth or water. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record