You Can Own a Rare Nuclear Bunker Built in England in the 1950s

A Cold War-era nuclear bunker nestled beneath a field in Derbyshire, England, is heading to the auction block.

Built in the late 1950s, the hideout includes two small rooms situated 14 feet underground, according to SDL Auctions, which will sell the unique structure on September 26. It’s expected to fetch between £15,000 and £20,000 (about $20,000 and $26,000).

“Some people like the idea of buying a bit of post-war Britain,” auctioneer Jim Demitriou tells BBC News’ Isaac Ashe. “It’s a piece of history.”

The bunker was built to serve as a listening post manned by three people. In the event of nuclear war, the trio would have been “expected to report on the nuclear bursts and on the fallout of a nuclear attack,” per a statement from SDL Auctions. “They were provided with enough food and water for 14 days and had a landline and radio communications available to them.”

In a video walkthrough, Demitriou enters the hideout by descending a tall ladder. Mid-way down, a sign warns, “Mind your head and back.” Immediately in front of the ladder, one door opens to a small storage space equipped with white shelves. Another door leads to the living space.

The bunker, which is about the size of a garage, comes with some of its original items, including vintage binoculars and a “red communications hotline phone,” reports BBC News. An asbestos fire blanket still hangs on the wall.

However, the current owner has also made some unusual upgrades. According to the statement, the hideout has been “refurbished and decorated” with features such as “wall-to-wall velvet curtains, a cream carpet, a made bed, a log burner, storage and even a rug to make it as homely as possible.”

Located outside the town of Buxton, the bunker is one of 1,500 similar hideouts constructed across the United Kingdom. These structures were built by the Royal Observer Corps, an organization created during World War I to identify enemy aircraft over Britain.

When the Cold War came to a close in the 1990s, the Royal Observer Corps was dissolved, and many of its bunkers were decommissioned and sold. Some were purchased by telecommunications companies, which used them as sites to build phone towers.

The market for bunkers may be unique, but it’s also growing. In recent years, ultra-wealthy homeowners have become increasingly interested in constructing secure shelters on their land, with some customized dwellings costing millions of dollars to build.

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Existing shelters, like the one in Derbyshire, are often marketed to history buffs. Demitriou tells BBC News that he sold his first nuclear bunker, which went for £31,000, about 18 months ago. Earlier this summer, his second sold for £48,000.

“This is the third one of these that I’m selling, so I’m getting a bit of a reputation for myself,” the auctioneer says in the walkthrough video. “But this is probably the best one of the lot.”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.