When demolition workers in Keighley were getting rid of an unwanted boiler house, they weren't expecting to stumble across a World War II air raid shelter.
The shelter was found three feet below the ground of a car park in the grounds of the old Keighley College building on North Street.
Made of brick with a reinforced concrete ceiling, it was about three feet wide and had four linked corridors in a rectangular layout.
Evidence of the tough conditions Keighley residents endured in war-time could be seen in the wooden boards on the floors which archeologists say were to keep people's feet off the cold concrete.
Bradford Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe said: "I find this discovery absolutely
fascinating. The remnants of the air raid shelter are a stark reminder of
the fear under which people had to live their lives during the Second
World War.
"I'm pleased we're able to record the find for local history
archives", she added.
The council say they were totally unaware of the shelter's existence as wartime construction was often carried out quickly and not properly logged.
Paul North, Bradford Council's Airedale and Manningham Masterplan
Manager said: "It was one of a number of wartime shelters. Others were
located under Town Hall square and under the roundabout at the bottom of
Oakworth Road."
The shelter wasn't unearthed for long though - it soon disappeared back underneath the car park that was being repaired to attract developers to the site.
But it's unlikely to be unexpectedly discovered again, as it's now permanently logged in the History Environment Record.
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