I had to reblog this post, not least because we were living in East Sheen until recently and I had no idea of the air raid shelter’s existence. I’ve just discovered, however, that my other half knows all about it and many years ago he was able to go down there. Fascinating and I’m so relieved the structure has been restored and listed.
The period between the two World Wars was one of massive expansion for London. The city’s population grew and grew, peaking at 8.6 million in 1939 (a total not surpassed until very recently), and new housing was built at a rate never seen before to accommodate this growth. These new homes, council houses and private houses alike, contained modern facilities such as indoor toilets, making them attractive to those living in older, less well-equipped homes. But a new housing development in East Sheen, in south west London, had yet another desirable feature for potential buyers: as the fear of war grew in the 1930s, St Leonard’s Court came with its own purpose-built air raid shelter.
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First Night History 
So well-preserved inside, you can get a real feel of what it might have been like. I think I might have taken my chances inside my flat though!
(I looked up those flats, £455,000 for a 2-bed in May this year. My friend’s 3-bed house off Barnes High Street must be worth a mint these days…)
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’m sure it is. I couldn’t afford to move back to Sheen!
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