St Leonards Air Raid Shelter is a hidden historic gem in Mortlake. It tells the story of the build-up to the start of the war – of the growing tensions across Europe that led to the demand to construct air raid precautions across the country – to the life on the Home Front during the Blitz.

Original plans, which are now housed in Richmond Library, indicate that the architect of St Leonard’s Court, Philip A W Roffey, submitted an application in October 1939 for permission to construct what are now known as the ‘day rooms’ of the air raid shelter, although it is likely that these would have been used day and night throughout bombing raids. The rooms were designed to hold 120 people and were built of reinforced concrete; indeed, the impression from the formwork is visible along the walls and ceiling. The plans correspond to the present day layout of the shelter, with benches running along the walls and a brick screen hiding two chemical toilets at the end of each room, along with an escape ladder.

A second set of plans, also submitted by Philip A W Roffey, but dating to September 1940, proposed an extension to the shelter to include the dormitory annex with 48 bunks. This new section was made from concrete, with a layer of tanking and a single brick skin. A hole was created in the original end wall of the corridor to connect the sleeping quarter with the existing structure. Possibly as a consequence of the lack of readily available resources and material at the end of 1940, the original day rooms are better quality and have not suffered from as much water ingress.

The plans for the extension also show proposed escape hatches that protrude above ground level and would have been covered with a layer of earth. A hinged louvered door allowed for ventilation.

While it is known that there are other shelters in the area (including Clapham South Shelter), none match the internal detailing, scale, or quality of finish. Peg numbers, in a uniform green that matches the original paint of the door and the shelves above the bunks, are still visible along the corridor. Each number was beautifully rendered in a stylised and highly evocative font. Lightbulbs dating to the war and homemade lampshades are still in situ in some of the bunks, along with the green painted wooden bed slats. Examples of lampshades include some made from strips of material and even one made from the original lightbulb box. There is a small letterbox for sending internal mail, and a stove at the end of the corridor. The original benches in the day room are still present, as are the four chemical toilets.