u/ResortConstant5244

I went down a rabbit hole looking into Bristol’s old air raid shelters, and because I live about a minute from College Green, the shelter beneath College Green really grabbed me.

I ended up making this then-and-now image using the 1939 photo of the shelter entrance and comparing it to the same area today in 2026.

I cleaned up the original image, improved the quality, and tried to show how the site has changed over time. What’s mad is that loads of people walk across College Green every day without realising there was once an air raid shelter right there beneath it.

This is more of a visual history piece than a precise archaeological reconstruction, so if anyone knows more about the exact location, layout, or history of the shelter, I’d love to hear it.

Links / sources:
https://www.mediastorehouse.com/framed-prints/memory-lane-prints/bristol-air-raid-shelter-print-college-green-1939-21898167.html
https://archives.bristol.gov.uk/records/41596/7
https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/features/26-historic-photos-of-college-green/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College\_Green,\_Bristol