Shed history: The first Anderson shelter is erected on this day 1939

Plans for civilian protection from air raids in the UK had been underway well before the beginning of the Second World War in 1939. One of the earliest provisions was the Anderson shelter (pictured above is part of the official installation instructions), designed in 1938 by Dr David Anderson, William Paterson and Oscar Carl Kerrison and first built in Islington, London, on 25 February 1939. A shed-like galvanized corrugated steel structure of 2 x 1.4m, the shelter was erected in domestic back gardens sunk 1.2m into the ground and then covered with earth. Able to accommodate up to six people, they were provided to more than three million people living in the most exposed locations and were free to those earning under £5 a week (£7 to everyone else).

Although they undoubtedly saved lives, they were of no use to those without gardens and were uncomfortable and prone to damp. They gradually fell out of use, to be replaced by the cage-like indoor Morrison shelters. After the war, many Anderson shelters continued life as chicken coops or tool sheds.

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The return of the Anderson shelter

A cracking article by David Lavelle in The Guardian looks at the rise in popularity of the Anderson shelter and points out that "restoring air raid shelters has become a niche hobby with people repurposing them as sheds or outdoor studies". Here's a snippet:

The survival of Anderson shelters is not only due to their sturdy structure. Millions of families took refuge in them during the war and told their stories to succeeding generations, preserving them in our cultural imagination, too. “I think the Anderson shelter is an icon because so many people had them,” Liz Johnson says. “They figure in many wartime novels and films. I think they do appeal to our den-building fascination.” The shelters are also one of the few relics of the period that can still be utilised. They are an effective and fun way of educating young children about the realities of the home front, and many people are still putting them to good use in their gardens. Johnson says she intends to keep her shelter for as long as she owns her house and has plans to develop the inside as a sleep-out space for her children.

Photo courtesy Martin Stanley's site Anderson Shelters which is mentioned in the article and is indeed a marvellous introduction to the subject. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Suburbanstudio, London

A marvellous garden office designed by architects Ashton Porter (who call it 'suburbanstudio') in a suburban garden. Here's what they say about it:

"The main studio facade that addresses the garden floats above a glass panel and forms a screen to separate the work space of the studio from the domestic garden. The typical green suburban garden is replaced by a folded timber landscape characterised by a pop up landscape of activities including a heated paddling pool, a sand pit and a fire pit.

"The materials of the studio make reference to the suburban context; timber cladding echos domestic fencing, corrugated aluminum refers to inter-war prefabricated garages and a former Anderson shelter. The studio is super-insulated and benefits from a sedum roof; heating is provided by Apple Macintosh computers with very occasional recourse to underfloor heating. The main facade is unsupported along its full length and rests on cantilevered side walls. The wall construction is entirely from stressed ply composite panels with no hidden steel supporting frame."

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Could you work in an Anderson shelter?

Could an Anderson shelter make the perfect garden shed, asks Lia Leendertz in The Guardian. It's a followup to her brief look at Anderson shelters in last weekend's Guardian magazine with readers' replies. Well worth a browse, especially if you're thinking of building one yourself.
Photo courtesy 1940s Experience
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