The air raid shelter under Pierremont Park in Broadstairs was in theory designed to hold 130 people although its built capacity would probably have been much greater than that. There are two types of tunnel, a reinforced concrete vaulted tunnel that leads down from the entrance, and then a section lined with precast concrete planks. As the shelter is not very deep it is possible that it originated as a Munich era trench shelter, and the construction difference may have been down to the depth of cover, reinforced mass concrete being used to give more strength in the shallower sections
In addition to a ramped entrance set in a concrete banked cutting, there is a bricked up second entrance and two ladderless escape shafts
The precast concrete system used is unusual locally, though it survives in shelters in Leeds and elsewhere
Princess, later Queen, Victoria stayed in the adjacent Pierremont Hall in 1826, but by the time of the war the building was used as town council offices and the shelter quality may have been of higher quality as it would have sheltered council employees during daytime raids
The shelter is sealed and the visit was by kind permission of the owners