WWII Air raid shelter

St John's School in Redhill has preserved something most of us will never experience - an actual air raid shelter built and used during the Second World War. It's not some reconstructed display; this is the real thing, buried beneath the school grounds, where children once huddled during bombing raids.

You get to descend underground and see the cramped conditions firsthand. The shelter is small, quite tight actually, which makes the reality of wartime Britain hit harder than any museum diorama could manage. There are benches where kids sat, ventilation shafts, and the basic infrastructure that kept a school functioning during air attacks. It's genuinely atmospheric.

This is proper stuff for history enthusiasts and anyone wanting to understand what the home front actually meant. Teenagers doing GCSE coursework on the Second World War will find it far more valuable than reading about it. Younger children might struggle with the confined space and the rather heavy subject matter, so think carefully if you've got kids under ten.

Access is strictly Heritage Weekend in September - you'll need to book ahead, and admission cost isn't confirmed online, so ring ahead. Allow an hour including the tour. It's not a major day out on its own, but if you're camping at Alderstead Heath or Surrey Hills Park nearby, it's worth the short drive into Redhill for a couple of hours. Pairs nicely with exploring Redhill town itself or heading further into the Surrey Hills.

The shelter reminds you why your grandparents' generation deserves respect. Dark, cold, and occasionally moving.