The Second World War air raid shelter at Colley Lane Primary School narrowly avoided the fate of the rest of the old school when, in 2002, the demolition contractors moved in.
Thanks to the intervention of Deputy Head Teacher Janet Ingram it was saved from the same fate as the main school buildings. Today the new school is overlooked by the air raid shelter, which has been extensively renovated as part of the Cradley Heritage Project.
The old brick and concrete shelter has been cleaned out and provided with a new roof and new doors. In its new life it will allow school children to experience what it was like, 70 years ago, to spend time in the doom and gloom avoiding bombs from the air.
On Remembrance Day 2010 the school held the Opening Ceremony to celebrate the shelter development. The shelter was opened by Muriel Bennett, President of the Cradley Then & Now Group and the oldest (at 94 years) living former pupil of Colley Lane School. In declaring the shelter open, Muriel expressed her wish that the shelter would never again be used for its original purpose.
Day of the Opening Ceremony (2010)
Colley Lane Air Raid Shelter (2010)
Sketch by School Child (2010)
Muriel Bennett Opening Shelter (2010)
