Brinksway Air Raid Shelters.

Brinksway Air Raid Shelters where constructed between 1938-1939 during WWII and cut into the soft sandstone rock which is visible all round Stockport.

With Manchester being only a stones throw from Stockport, the local authorities built the shelters to protect the civillians from german air attacks.

There where six shelters built in Stockport but now only three remain and one of them is now a museum, Dodge Hill and Brinksway are the only ones left in there original condition and have not changed since WWII except for grafitti that is scribbled all over the walls.

Brinksway is one off if not the largest of all the air raid shelters in Stockport including the ones that are now buried some where beneath the M60 motorway.

As with Dodgehill, Brinksway has changed little since WWII with the exception of grafitti and the odd beer cans or hyperdermic needles scattered round the place, its pretty much how it was from all them years ago, and as with Dodge Hill, all the bunk beds remain still in situ.

The corridors are small and the place is dustier than the other shelters, in certain sections the air is very thin too, the place is relativley cold too.

Compared with the other shelters Brinksway leads the way with the feeling of claustrophobia, the blackness consumes you, even the Fenix was struggling to illuminate this place in parts.

Besides that though it is a place definatley worth visiting if for the history alone. Brinksway could shelter around the same as Chestergate, some 4000 people if not more.

There seems to be more grafitti down here too, saying that though it does sit besides one of Stockports least residential areas which probably accounts for it.

This is the second time I have been to Brinksway, the first time we abandoned the explore less than half way in due to the torches being rather inadequote.

This time though armed with a Fenix the explore was completed with success and a great sense of satisfaction, all though at times we did struggle to light the place because of the utter and complete blackness.

Still it was and enjoyable trip and one well overdue, just a shame the other shelters are long gone but exploring the three remaining ones does kind of compensate for it.