World War 2 Air Raid Shelter To Be Recreated At City Farm With Curo Support

Curo, the Housing and support organisation, will help to recreate a World War 2 air raid shelter, which will be installed as part of a new interactive history trail at Bath City Farm.

Curo is sponsoring the World War 2 section of the city farm’s new ‘Walk Through History’ trail, which will bring to life the years from 1939-1945. This point of the trail will have an authentic replica of an Anderson air raid shelter, which visitors will be able to properly inspect.

Many families in and around Bath built Anderson shelters in their back yards to shelter from bombs during the Blitz. The air-raid shelter at the farm includes a hand-powered air-raid siren and will be sited next to a now-buried pill box which was created to fire anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns at enemy forces. Information displays at the trail point will explain how the shelters were used and how Twerton, Whiteway and the farm were affected by World War Two.

Bath was bombed in April 1942 as part of the so-called Baedeker raids, where targets were selected for their for their historical and sentimental value, as opposed to their strategic or military value.

Curo Community Initiatives Coordinator Jo Bellotti said: “Bath City Farm is a fantastic open space in the heart of an area where many Curo customers live and we’re really pleased to be helping to make this trail possible. We’re looking forward to getting together with local families to build this shelter which promises to be a fascinating resource for people across Bath.”

Work on the trail will start in the summer and local families will be invited to come along and help Bath City Farm staff create the shelter, with additional work such as concreting the base being carried out by the farm’s youth volunteering group.

Curo will also run a World War II workshop where local families who've helped build the shelter will be able to try on gas masks, sample typical war-time food and learn more about how local people took part in such an important event in our history.

The Walk Through History trail is a 10-point trail around Bath City Farm’s 37 acres of woodland and wildflower meadows. It will guide visitors through the farm's history and heritage as well as its surrounding area using interactive instalments that bring local history to life.

Each point will have an information board detailing what the farm and surrounding local area was like during the particular historical period. Funding is still needed for some of the other points.

Curo is asking for anyone interested in helping to build the air raid shelter to call Jo Bellotti on 01225 366145. To find out more about the trail, sponsoring a point on it, or about volunteering with Bath City Farm, contact Helen on 01225 481269, [email protected] or visit www.bathcityfarm.org.uk.

Bath City Farm is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm and admissions are free.