Site Records

Site Name: Brooklands - Vickers-Armstrong air raid shelter

Brooklands
Surrey

Sub Brit site visit 14th July 1999

After the war, the race circuit was in poor condition as trees had been planted into the concrete to help screen the Hawker and Vickers aircraft factories and the site was sold to Vickers-Armstrongs in 1946 for continued use as an aircraft factory. Both civilian and military aircraft production continued with the company building the Viscount and the Valiant 'V' bomber. In 1960 a merger between Bristol Aircraft Ltd., English Electric Aviation Ltd., and Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd., led to the formation of British Aircraft Corporation Ltd.

Vickers Valiant 'V' Bomber

Concorde

Brooklands became the Weybridge Division of B.A.C. (Operating) Ltd designing and building the BAC TSR2, One-Eleven and Concorde. The factory contracted in size in the mid-1970s and finally closed in 1988-89. In 1987 the site also become home to the Brooklands Museum. The remaining sections of track were the subject of a preservation order in 2001

From 1990 to 2003 regular fly-ins, rallies attended by light aircraft, were arranged on summer weekends using the northern half of the original runway. The central area of Brooklands including the hard runway was sold to DaimlerChrysler UK Retail in early 2004.

It is unknown what further use was found for the tunnels after the war although there was some very limited production in at least one of the tunnels probably in the 1970's. Today most of the tunnel entrances have been sealed and are no longer visible. One entrance has been retained and is now securely locked.

The tunnels remain in good condition and are mainly clean, dry and free of graffiti due in part to the strict control of access. The tunnels are concrete lined and rectangular in section, 2 metres high and 1.5 metres wide. Some signage remains at the end of each tunnel showing the nearest drinking water, the nearest way out and the tunnel number.

There are numerous other 'way out' signs throughout the tunnel system and some paper notices in surprisingly good condition. In one tunnel a number of contemporary newspaper cuttings and drawings can be seen on the wall.

Toilet recesses are provided at regular intervals throughout the system, mostly two recesses opposite each other. These have no doors and were originally fitted with a curtain for privacy. The wooden supports for the curtains can still be seen on a few of the recesses.

The steel gas tight doors are still in place at the end of the entrance dog leg, apart from one door these have all been welded shut. Further open gas doors can also be seen at the entrance dog leg to the ventilation plant areas with a wooden sliding door across the short tunnel leading to the fans.

There is evidence of production in one of the parallel tunnels with some engineering plant still fixed to the floor; its propose is unknown.

A paced survey was made by Sub Brit member Roger Morgan in 1987 when the quarry floor was used by BAC as an unrestricted car park. A photographic survey was made by members Sub Brit in 1999, the site has now been redeveloped and is privately owned and not part of the Brooklands Museum.

Sources:
Chelsea Speleological Society Records Volume 16 (1988) ISSN 0309-409X
Surrey Advertiser - The day the Luftwaffe bombed Vickers 3.9.2004
The Brooklands Society - Photo Archives
BBC WW2 Peoples War Surviving the Vickers Armstrong Air Raid. September 1940
Francis Media's History of Brooklands web site
Brooklands Museum web site

For further pictures of the Vickers-Armstrong air raid shelter click here

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