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Rochester couple's Anderson shelter discovery

By: Ed McConnell emcconnell@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 09:40, 02 July 2019

Updated: 09:25, 03 July 2019

A young couple renovating their dream house unearthed a perfectly preserved Anderson shelter — and now they want to give it a new lease of life as a wine cellar.

Hugo and Emily Lesourd bought their property in Kings Avenue, Rochester, a year ago and have been doing it up since then.

But when it came to removing an old green house from the back garden Hugo, 29, and Emily's father were shocked at what was hidden below.

KMTV have been for a tour of the shelter

Since then, City finance worker Hugo has spent his weekends excavating the fascinating find.

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Mrs Lesourd said: "We got in touch with the estate agent and then the people who had owned the house before and it turned out they knew about it and had done their own research.

"They'd managed to get hold of extracts from the diary of a young boy who lived at the property during the war and spent time in the shelter.

"We're now waiting for them to send the copies to us. I think the diary should be part of the house."

Hugo Lesourd working in the air raid shelter found in his Rochester garden

Mrs Lesourd, 30, has recently left her job as a design and technology teacher and spends the week doing DIY inside the house and looking after seven-month-old daughter Théa.

She decided to get in touch with the Messenger after reading how Ashford couple Kelly and Sean Webb discovered a similar Second World War structure in their garden, complete with the original electrical supply.

The entrance to the shelter found in Kings Avenue, Rochester

Mrs Lesourd added the couple had hoped to turn the shelter into a wine cellar but having slaved away since March, Hugo was beginning to get disillusioned.

"I think finding out about the other shelter and seeing the coverage might give him a boost," she said.

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