Are you looking for a property with history, good transport links, outdoor space – and above all, a place that will protect you from a nuclear attack? Then you’ve come to the right place.
A nuclear bunker near Dent railway station in Cumbria is being auctioned with a guide price of £15,000.
The bunker, which at first glance “just looks like a piece of concrete sticking out of the ground,” as Jim Demitriou, valuer at SDL Property Auctions, puts it, is underground, accessed via a metal ladder that leads down from a hatch at ground level.
The bunker was built in the 1950s for the Royal Observer Corps (ROC), a group of appointed civilians who manned the 1,563 similar bunkers built across the country during the Cold War between 1947 and 1991.
They were designed so that in the event of a nuclear attack, ROC volunteers could use them to report the location and magnitude of the attack and to monitor radioactive fallout.
Like other posts, this post was designed to house three observers and provide them with food and water for a fortnight. It was also equipped with a landline and radio links, the landline still functioning today.
Fortunately, however, a nuclear attack never occurred. The Republic of China withdrew at the end of the Cold War in 1991 and many bases were closed and sold in 1993.
This bunker in Dent was bought by its current owner in 2008, according to the Land Registry. He cleaned up, refurbished and renovated the bunker himself, and added a wooden shed, driveway and gate outside.
“He bought it by chance. He was fascinated by it above all,” says Demitriou. “He used it as a retreat – a place where he could switch off. You can park on the property and it’s not far from Dent train station. There’s a nice little village nearby and the surroundings are beautiful.”
Demitriou, who successfully sold another nuclear bunker in Louth, Lincolnshire, in December 2022, was brought in by the seller for his expertise (“I was called ‘Jim the bunker man’ a few times,” he says).
The Louth Bunker belonged to a veteran who wanted a place to retreat away from civilisation and was purchased for £31,000 by a buyer who also wanted to use it as a country retreat.
Demitriou believes the bunker in Dent could be similarly appealing to someone.
He says he has received “countless different inquiries” for the property, with interested buyers considering setting up a unique Airbnb experience or a music studio. Seventy-five percent of the other disused bunkers have been bought by telecom companies due to their optimal signal locations, Demitriou says, so the bunker could also generate revenue.
“There were quite a few (bunkers) that were not bought up by telecom companies, but bought by people as a piece of post-war history or something else. Sometimes you meet people who just want to buy a piece of Britain,” says Demitriou. “If you have a camper van or want to camp, you have a piece of land you can go to. It’s fun and you can sleep somewhere underground, which is a bit unusual.”
“You can never predict who will buy, but it will either be someone who wants to do something entrepreneurial or someone who just wants to pass the time and have some peace and quiet.”
For the bunker’s current owner, it’s time to move on. “As is sometimes the case with properties like this, (the seller) has preserved a piece of history; he’s taken it and made it what he thinks it should be. He almost feels an obligation to let someone else enjoy it.”
The property will be auctioned online by SDL Property Auctions from 9am on July 25. Interested buyers must register by 5pm the day before and can bid online, by phone or by proxy. The guide price is between £15,000 and £20,000. “It’s always difficult to put an exact value on,” says Demitriou. “It reflects what the property is worth to the bidders.”
“Cumbria is a beautiful part of the world and I think people would dream of having something there. It’s a very affordable opportunity for some,” he adds.
“What makes this bunker so advantageous compared to other bunkers that can be found or that have been for sale in the past is the fact that it is right next to the road, there is a train station within walking distance and there is car access. It ticks a lot of boxes. It is very special.”
