Bomb Shelter Discovered During Basement Renovation In Bristol Home
When a construction and property company were renovating a basement in a client’s Bristol-based home, they stumbled across a piece of history.
Berkeley Place were working on a basement duplex apartment in Clifton when handwriting was found on one of the walls. The notes were recordings of WWII air raids in Bristol, which was a target for bombing due to the presence of Bristol Harbour and The Bristol Aeroplane Company. There were six major bombing raids on the city, in what has since become known as the ‘Bristol Blitz’.
Berkeley Place
Berkeley Place
The bomb shelter discovery was made while the basement was being converted into a snug bedroom and bathroom. This involved repair and repointing of the flagstone and subdividing the bedroom to create two separate sleeping spaces, to maximise use of space.
Pete Helme Photography
Berkeley Place
The front terrace, living room, hallway, kitchen, utility and dining room were also given a new lease of life, adding warmth with new timber and underground heating. Stairs were installed with a curved timber handrail to the outer wall, with cleaned sandstone flooring.
Basements are most commonly used for storage or as a utility space, but they can be a valuable asset for homeowners. Many offer more square footage than main-floor rooms, making them a great location for family-friendly living rooms or guest bedrooms with a bit of extra privacy.
Pete Helme Photography
Bringing luxury to the most unexpected areas of your home has been a big trend this year, with ‘luxury laundry rooms’ and ‘luxury basement ideas’ among the most popular searches on Pinterest.
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