As a casual visitor you sometimes notice things that local people pass by on a daily basis without giving a second glance. Just before reaching the top of New Mill Lane, Forest Town, where it joins Clipstone Road, opposite the garage and the Whitegates pub, standing on the left is a grey electricity sub station, whilst a little higher up, now almost hidden amongst the trees and undergrowth is a brick built structure. This rectangular building has a concrete roof and floor, plus 14″ thick walls which have horizontal slit like windows set high up on three of the sides, whilst a larger square opening looks out over the farmland behind. Going by its location and the robustness of the construction, could this be some sort of observation post or gun position, maybe manned in WW2 by a local Home Guard unit?
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I well remember the air raid shelters on Maltby Road cos I had an aunt lived not too far from the shelters. I also remember them being damp and uninviting.
Our neighbours – the Flints at 148, (?) Southwell Road, had an underground shelter for many years.
This type of building is a smaller version of the air raid shelters constructed on many of the streets of Mansfield during W.W.2. The only thing missing is the entrance door. The square opening to the rear is an escape route. To me it would appear this small relic has been overlooked. Most of the larger streets had two..
There is another page about this at https://www.ourmansfieldandarea.org.uk/content/mysteries/mystery_building_in_forest_town if you wish to find out more.
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