Dodge Hill Air Raid Shelter

Dodge Hill stands as one of Stockport's three public air raid shelters, alongside Brinksway and Chestergate. Notably, these deep-level shelters were the largest civilian air raid facilities constructed in the UK, with Dodge Hill being the smallest, accommodating approximately 2,000 people. They were inaugurated in October 1939, although Stockport experienced its first bombing raid nearly a year later, on October 11, 1940.

The tunnels at Dodge Hill extend for 200 meters, running beneath St Mary’s Church. These tunnels were hewn from the soft sandstone of the Heaton Norris embankment, allowing the construction to be completed in just four months by a dedicated team using pneumatic drills and hand tools. The shelter's design cleverly facilitated a fresh air supply from the surface; cool air would flow down into the tunnels while the warmer, stale air would rise and exit. The shelters were ultimately closed and sealed off in 1948.