You may recall that these parchmarks on the Upper Field appeared last year during a period when there was little or no rain. In the current spell of dry weather the marks are appearing again. The photo is a view towards Boundary Road
We understand that there is some concern about the danger to Heath users, of the public air raid shelter beneath the SE corner of the Heath Field. The Committee is trying to determine the state of knowledge of the shelter, within the Council. Details of it (and others) may still be held there or possibly have gone to the archives at County Hall. Meanwhile, the Harpenden Local History Society has a very comprehensive section on their shelters which we feel sure would be of identical design and construction to ours. Civil defence was overseen centrally and methods and standards applied across the country.
The only untoward event relating to the shelter of which we know is the episode, quite a few years ago, of a St Albans Carnival float lorry breaking through the roof of the shelter. Tractors and mowers regularly pass over the shelter location all the time, without coming to grief, so pedestrians have little to fear, we think.
More information if and when we have it.
RM