About the Trenches

In the grounds of Whitehawk Primary School, an original World War Two air-raid shelter has been opened and developed as a museum and educational resource. Tours of the shelter are regularly given to children of Whitehawk Primary along with other visiting schools and the wider community, guided by its 'curator' Dudley Button.

During the Second World War this kind of shelter was called 'The Trenches'. Inside are benches where the children would have sat during an air raid, along with displays of war-time artefacts from the era. These displays are used to help illustrate to the children what life was like during the war.

History of the Trenches

The history of the shelter and how it was used is illustrated in entries from the school's war-time log book and other historical records collected by the school. Read more about the history of the Trenches.

 

Tour of the Trenches

As part of the Whitehawk Primary School on the Home Front Project, the children were given a tour of the Trenches, to help them learn more about life in the Second World War. View a video of the children touring the Trenches.