Wells Road Air Raid Shelter in Healing

     Whilst hastily-constructed Anderson shelters were put up in gardens in Healing at the start of the Second World War, many people didn't have to go through the effort of building one. This is simply because the government paid for larger, stronger concrete shelters to be built, for the local people. Healing has an example of one of these of its own:

    Located on the road Riby, the air raid shelter on Wells Road is said to be a 'Stanton' shelter. This type in particular was located near airfields and military sites. Could this shelter then be connected to the Wells Road searchlight battery?
     The local people used this shelter to their advantage too, as they would come here during a raid for protection. If you lived at the other end of the village, there would be no time to flee here before the bombs started: you had to make do with your own corrugated-iron shelter! At one side of the small mound of earth covering the shelter is a large cncrete doorway, with wooden steps leading downwards...

There was simply no time for many people to pile down a ladder several feet in the air: a small stairway was much more convenient. Shown below is an image of the escape hatch, which could be used should one entrance become blocked.
Regards,
James