A converted nuclear bunker has been auctioned for just £15,000 – but potential buyers face a major problem.
The 14ft underground bunker at Wormhill, near Buxton in Derbyshire, is to be sold at auction on September 26.
Described as being in “excellent condition”, the lair was built in the 1950s by the Royal Observer Corps (ROC) to save employees in the event of an attack.
It was decommissioned in 1991 and will go on sale with a guide price of between £15,000 and £20,000.
The bunker is one of about 1,500 built during the Cold War period, when people were increasingly concerned about other countries’ nuclear capabilities.
It is not known exactly why Derbyshire was chosen, but it has left a lasting legacy beneath the Peak District countryside.
The 14ft underground bunker at Wormhill, near Buxton in Derbyshire, is to be sold at auction on September 26.
Described as being in “excellent condition”, the lair was built in the 1950s by the Royal Observer Corps (ROC) to save employees in the event of an attack.
The bunker’s trapdoor and ladder take the occupant 20 feet down to a study on the cream-carpeted floor.
The bunker was decommissioned in 1991 and is now for sale with a guide price of £15,000-£20,000.
Despite being fully equipped to save lives in the event of a meltdown, the underground lair has no bathroom.
But it comes with – perhaps unwisely – a giant image of a nuclear explosion on one of the walls.
The bunker’s trapdoor and ladder take the occupant 20 feet down to a ground-floor study with cream carpets, a sheepskin rug, cream velvet curtains, and a double bed with a bright yellow blanket.
There is plenty of storage space nearby, containing a gas camping stove, an electric heater and plenty of beer.
Interestingly, there is also a fascinating book for the future owner to read: Secret Nuclear Bunkers of the Cold War.
It also comes with an original pair of binoculars, a telephone, and old diagrams and instructions left on the walls.
The bunkers were designed to provide protective accommodation for three ROC personnel to survive a nuclear attack.
During their stay there they were expected to report on nuclear explosions and the consequences of a nuclear attack.
The bunker is one of about 1,500 built during the Cold War period, when people were increasingly concerned about other countries’ nuclear capabilities.
The bunkers were designed to provide protective accommodation for three ROC personnel to survive a nuclear attack.
Despite being fully equipped to save lives in the event of a meltdown, the underground lair has no bathroom.
ROC employees staying there were expected to report on nuclear explosions and the consequences of a nuclear attack.
There is plenty of storage space nearby, containing a gas camping stove, an electric heater and plenty of beer.
It is not known exactly why Derbyshire was chosen as the location for the bunker, but it has left a lasting legacy beneath the Peak District countryside.
They were provided with enough food and water for fourteen days and had a land line and radio communications at their disposal.
Most of these sites were dismantled and sold in 1993 and many were bought by telecommunications companies and are now sites for mobile phone antennas.
A description from auction house SDL Property Auctions reads: “A fantastic opportunity to purchase a piece of British history from past wars. A once in a generation opportunity to purchase an ROC nuclear bunker, also known as a Royal Observation Post.
‘The bunker is safe, dry and in its original condition; the current owner has renovated and decorated it to make it ready for its new owner.
‘There are wall-to-wall velvet curtains, a cream rug, a made bed, a wood-burning stove, storage space and even a rug to make the atmosphere as homely as possible.’
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