Nuclear bunker on sale for £75k - would you?
What are you looking for in your ideal property: a walk in wardrobe? A gym? An indoor pool? Or how about your own personal nuclearbunker? If you're convinced that you can't be too prepared for the onset of nuclear hostilities, a property is going to auction in Nottinghamshire which could be just what you are looking for.
Admittedly there's not much in the way of living quarters. In fact, there's nothing. The property consists purely of the bunker, hidden four meters under a field in Burton Joyce, measuring 11 square metres, and accessed through an alarming-looking narrow entrance.
History buffs may be intrigued to learn that it was used by the Royal Observer Corps between 1961 and 1991 as a nuclear monitoring post. There were originally hundreds of these bunkers built, and were manned by volunteers who were poised to rebuild society in the event of a nuclear war. This one even contains some bits and pieces from its former life.
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What next?
If a buyer with a passion for bunkers and £74,000 burning a hole in their pocket comes forward at the auction on March 26, this unusual property could enjoy a new lease of life.
Some of the larger bunkers in the UK have already been transformed beyond recognition. One in Yeovil in Somerset was converted into a luxury eco-home and went on the market earlier this year for £700,000. Another large bunker in Exeter in Devon is now home to a laser tag business, one is a recording studio in North Wales, another is a vets' surgery in Shrewsbury, and Lincoln's has been converted into a mock house for police training. Just one is owned by English Heritage and is open to the public - in York.
However, many more have been demolished or lie empty, as particularly with the smaller bunkers, it's difficult to get the planning permission or the health and safety clearance to do anything with them. Sadly Savills, the agents, have said that they expect most of the interest in this bunker to be in what lies above ground - the six and a half acres of agricultural land.
There's every chance, therefore, that this bunker will remain a hidden oddity below a bog standard bit of farmland, and this unexpected slice of history will be lost forever.
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