It was during the later part of Queen Victoria’s reign that the strategic position of the North Downs in relation to the defence of London became important.
Twelve forts were built on the chalk escarpment stretching from Guildford to Knockholt, in Kent between 1889 and 1902. The scheme was abandoned in 1906 as policy was revised and the advent of mobile 60-pound guns rendered them obsolete. The fort at Box Hill had cost a total of £8,584 for land purchase and works it was reported in parliament and was used as storage before being sold back to the original landowner.
Later the Surrey area and the North Downs in particular became significant in the World War II defences although these anti tank obstacles did not follow the same path as the Victorian Forts. The “GHQ” line as it was known was built during the early summer of 1940 and was a continuous tank trap defended by a line of small infantry pillboxes or gun emplacements. The objective of these was to slow down any motorised advance and allow time for reserve troops to be brought in to defend London in the event of a land based attack. Whilst the invasion never came the pillboxes and gun emplacements did see action with anti-aircraft guns. Examples of these can be seen across Surrey and the AONB today, at Limpsfield Common.
Surrey and the SE of England was also in the forefront of air born activity during the war as a result of its location close to mainland Europe and London. Existing airfields were taken over and new ones created to meet the specific needs of the various stages of the war. There was activity at Limpsfield, Redhill, Horne, Wisley and Cobham. In the later stages of the war all the Surrey airfields became balloon centres, operating barrage balloons as part of the defence curtain from Cobham in Kent to Limpsfield and Redhill. Some of the airfields retained a related activity after the war and some returned to their former use.
All across the country air raid shelters were built to protect those who lived and worked in our cities and towns from attack. Domestically it is the Anderson shelter that was constructed in gardens that is most remembered. However public buildings such as schools would have also had shelters. These were built to a design of corridors to ensure that as much as possible if the shelter received a direct hit the blast would not affect all those sheltering there. They were dark, damp and not particularly comfortable for the long hours that were spent there. As most schools educated boys and girls separately at this time they also found themselves in separate shelters. The boys at a school in Redhill were clearly not as easy to occupy as the girls with knitting and their art master got them painting pictures on the wall to keep up morale. These and a number of other air raid shelters are now being restored to show what life was like.
Restored air raid shelters on Limpsfield Common
Six air raid shelters on Limpsfield Common were in danger of being destroyed until a Local Heritage Initiative Grant was secured by the Friends of Limpsfield Common to restore these important heritage features. One of the shelters has been restored to its wartime condition and equipped with pictures and information, to be used as an educational resource for local schools and the community. The other five shelters have been adapted to encourage roosting bats.
Why not visit the air raid shelters on Limpsfield Common. They are situated across the cricket pitch, behind Limpsfield C of E School on the A25, Godstone to Westerham road. When heading east along the A25, the school is on the left a short distance past the traffic lights at the cross roads of the A25 and the B269. For further information about this property please contact the warden on 07770887679.
The work was a result of a successful partnership between The National Trust, the Friends of Limpsfield Common, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Nationwide Building Society, Natural England, Tandridge District Council and the Surrey Hills AONB.