DEAL’S HIDDEN FALLOUT SHELTER – A COLD WAR SECRET IN THE HEART OF TOWN!
Most people walk down Middle Street in Deal without ever realising that this quiet little road once hid one of Britain’s earliest nuclear fallout shelters.
Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, as Cold War tensions grew and the threat of nuclear attack felt very real, Deal became the focus of several experimental civil-defence projects. One of these was a private, purpose-built fallout shelter constructed opposite what used to be Skardon’s Fish & Chip Shop.
It was featured in the 1962 British Pathé film “Want a Fallout Shelter?” which showed families in Deal preparing for the unthinkable. The shelter was built in what later became a small car park, right in the middle of town, a stark reminder of how close nuclear fear came to everyday life.
📍 Location: Middle Street, Deal
🏗️ Era: Late 1950s / early 1960s
🎥 Seen in: British Pathé civil-defence film
❓ Does it survive today? Its exact fate is unclear. Many believe the structure was either sealed or demolished during later redevelopment, but traces may still lie beneath the surface.
Deal’s hidden Cold War history is everywhere if you know where to look, from coastal defences to lost shelters like this one. Another fascinating reminder of Kent’s role on the front line of 20th-century tensions.
If anyone local remembers the shelter, or has photos, newspaper clippings, or family stories, drop them in the comments. Let’s uncover the history together!
IKS Exploration
DEAL’S HIDDEN FALLOUT SHELTER – A COLD WAR SECRET IN THE HEART OF TOWN!
Most people walk down Middle Street in Deal without ever realising that this quiet little road once hid one of Britain’s earliest nuclear fallout shelters.
Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, as Cold War tensions grew and the threat of nuclear attack felt very real, Deal became the focus of several experimental civil-defence projects. One of these was a private, purpose-built fallout shelter constructed opposite what used to be Skardon’s Fish & Chip Shop.
It was featured in the 1962 British Pathé film “Want a Fallout Shelter?” which showed families in Deal preparing for the unthinkable. The shelter was built in what later became a small car park, right in the middle of town, a stark reminder of how close nuclear fear came to everyday life.
📍 Location: Middle Street, Deal
🏗️ Era: Late 1950s / early 1960s
🎥 Seen in: British Pathé civil-defence film
❓ Does it survive today? Its exact fate is unclear. Many believe the structure was either sealed or demolished during later redevelopment, but traces may still lie beneath the surface.
Deal’s hidden Cold War history is everywhere if you know where to look, from coastal defences to lost shelters like this one. Another fascinating reminder of Kent’s role on the front line of 20th-century tensions.
If anyone local remembers the shelter, or has photos, newspaper clippings, or family stories, drop them in the comments. Let’s uncover the history together!
#Deal #KentHistory #ColdWar #FalloutShelter #IKSExploration #BunkerHistory #NuclearPreparedness
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