The Priory House (white house) Pontefract With only living 10 minutes away from this place and after reading about some
possible tunnels I had to take a look.
The house was owner by someone called John Holmes who got in to some financial trouble and had to leave the place behind.
Before this the house was known for having garden partys with the garden stretching back to include a small wooded area.
A few year back homeless and drug users seemed to spend time in here and there was a murder enquiry after someone set fire to
them selfs I think it turned out in the end.
The fire took the roof off and since then the rain has caused everything to become not very safe.
Flowers were left on the stairs iam guessing this is where the lad died.There was also some grave stones in the garage
which I cant explain why or what they are doing there.
As for the tunnel and underground room that was dug out by Frank H.W. Holmes following from his own website
It was in 1938 that I joined the Air Raid Precautions Organisation, taking up first-aid, and in the same year, by my recollections of first war experience, I began digging a shelter in the Priory Wood. The site proved unsatisfactory and I abandoned it. In the spring of 1939 I commenced operations nearer to the house, but soon reached hard rock. Hand work was useless, so after much enquiry, I organised conversion of a Jowett van to serve as an air compressor, procured an air-pick, and (with a negligible amount of assistance, all voluntary) ultimately attained a shelter with fifteen steps down from the surface, eleven more in a second flight, and a passage twenty feet long at the bottom, all of it in rock and not less than six feet high. It is still there today.
full story here http://www.pontefractus.co.uk/memori..._fholmes04.htm
outside shot
stairs
hoover
doorway to celler
celler
shoe
kitchen
living room
flowers on stairs
upstairs
toilet
Tunnel and Air Raid Shelter
my wellys
first look down the tunnel
bottom of first tunnel sharp left
room at bottom
room again
fire
looking back up
look back down