Air Raid Shelter In Ardrossan Castle

[George Ardrossan]

When I was in Edinburgh last week, I visited the National Records of Scotland. I found a document on Ardrossan Castle, dated 23 February 1948, that made reference to an air raid shelter. It included a report by a member of staff of the University of Edinburgh that stated 'This Castle was in a very neglected condition and that, amongst other things, the part known as Wallace’s Kitchen was in a bad state and that brickwork introduced in the war time to form an air raid shelter had not been removed'. I think the reference to Wallace's Kitchen is wrong and that it should simply be 'Kitchen' which is the arched building at the right in the photo below.



I know very little about air raid shelters but if I was building one, I might not build it on top of an unpopulated hill.

Does anyone know anything about an air raid shelter in Ardrossan Castle during the second world war?

Thanks.

George

[meekan]

I wonder if instead of Wallaces kitchen it should have read Wallaces larder? It would be ready made shelter quite close to HMS Fortitude?

[George Ardrossan]

You might be right, Meekan. To some extent, Walace's Larder, shown below, is a ready-made air raid shelter.



If it was an air raid shelter, why would there be a need for the 'brickwork introduced in the war time'? Perhaps, there was a wee porch at the entrance.

I still don't understand why there would have been an air raid shelter where there were no people to occupy it. Surely air raid shelters would have been built near people's homes.

George

[Penny Tray]

George,

I have always believed that because there was a common perception that 'wee' air raid shelters weren't wholly to be trusted, it was not uncommon for families to prefer the sanctuary of local hills in the belief that the Germans wouldn't target their bombs on open land. In some places however, Greenock and Clydebank spring to mind, apparently there were always bonfires located on local hills ready to be lit after the first bombs were dropped, giving the second and subsequent wave of pilots the impression that they were over built-up areas.

Incidentally, the only 'modern' brick I remember seeing at Ardrossan Castle was in the very early 50s and located at the entrance to the area we were always told contained "the tunnel" to Montfode Tower. With the exception of about nine inches at the top, through which we could look, it blocked the entrance. This was then removed, giving access to the area, but soon thereafter to be replaced with a steel plate, once again blocking access.

[George Ardrossan]

There is logic in what you say about the location of air raid shelters and the bonfires, Penny Tray. People who might remember an air raid shelter in Ardrossan Castle, would be at least in their mid-eighties now making it difficult to get eye-witnesses.

George

[meekan]

George I'm just guessing perhaps the brickwork you refer to was a blast wall built in front, allowing access but protecting the entrance to the shelter. I have two lines of thought regarding the location.
1) There would be houses near at Hill Place and the Castle Craig's was a a naval base a wee bit away maybe but I close enough to if there wasn't any other.
2) There may have been a lookouts posted at the the hill to spot the any invasion by sea or by air. Just a guess.

[George Ardrossan]

Again, what you say makes perfect sense, Meekan. Like many other things, we'll probably learn more as time goes on.

George

[Robert Cook]

ir appears to me, looking at George's bottom picture of Wallace's Larder, that it is still walled up to some extent though not with bricks. I still believe that this is the location of the air raid shelter referred to.

Robert

[aland]

air raid shelter for the base that was in winton park?? I'm too young for this

[down south]

This should be relevant information, though it raises more questions than it answers. I have a picture of Wallace's Larder from the A&S Herald of around the early 1970s, and the caption says : " The dungeon in Ardrossan Castle is accessible again for the first time for more than thirty years, as the masonry which blocked the doorway has fallen to the foot of the steps. " You'll note that going back thirty years from then takes us to the early 1940s, but it seems to imply that the dungeon entrance was blocked up, rather than it being used as a shelter.

Susan

[georgeflemingard]

I don't remember any air raid shelter at the Castle or even having heard of one. We did have one in our back yard as many other people had. I cant imagine having to run all the way up the cannon hill to get to a shelter, surely the German planes would have passed over before one could reach the shelter.
As a young boy, me and my pals went down into "Wallace's Larder", its not very big and its very spooky, it scared the hell out of us. I think I would rather take my chances with the bombs than go in there.

[sweet caroline]

I was wondering if it was more of a gun turret ,to watch over the ships in the harbour ,for planes.
SC