If you've ever wanted to own a fallout shelter of your own to ride out the inevitable nuclear/virus/zombie apocalypse, this might be your chance: a bonafide UK nuclear bunker dating back to the Cold War is about to head to auction, starting at approximately US$20,000.
The ROC Nuclear Bunker is located in a rural spot near Sedbergh, in Cumbria, England, and comes with its own plot of land with secure parking, as well as a small storage shed above ground.
It was originally constructed along with many others across the UK in the 1950s by the now-defunct Royal Observer Corps and used for tracking of any hostile aircraft and recording potential nuclear strikes. Once the Cold War thawed in the early 1990s, most of the bunkers were decommissioned.
"This particular site was one of many built in the 1950s and was designed to provide protective accommodation for three observers to survive a nuclear attack, they were expected to report on the nuclear bursts and on the fall out of a nuclear attack," explains seller SDL Property Auctions. "They were provided with enough food and water for fourteen days and had a [phone] landline and radio communications available to them. The landline is connected and live and we are informed it can have [internet] connected."
Partially hidden from passersby by a bush, the shelter is accessed by a locking metal hatch and a 12-m (40-ft) metal ladder. Despite its age, the interior looks to be in decent shape, thanks to a recent renovation from its original owner.
The interior proper definitely isn't suitable for claustrophobic types with its lack of windows and natural light – plus there are no amenities like a bathroom or running water (which does have us wondering how the observers were meant to cope in the event of a nuclear attack) – though it has potential as a weekend getaway or maybe even an Airbnb rental. There's some seating and a wood-burning stove, as well as a storage area with a trashcan and kindling and other assorted supplies.
The ROC Nuclear Bunker is up for auction with a guide price of £15,000 - £20,000 (roughly $19,000 - $26,000) and opens for bidding from tomorrow, Thursday, July 25 9 am UK time using the source link below.
Source: SDL Property Auctions
Can you say "Heck yeah! Far better to die of carbon monoxide poisoning than radiation poisoning!" Although if it DOES draw enough to actually pass the smoke and gases up the flue, it will just suck in outside air to replace it, laden with fallout, so you might get to be poisoned with both at the same time...
Still, pull out the stove, put in solar panels, big batteries, and some blankets, and you have a cute little hobbit hole that I wouldn't count on to rescue you from the apocalypse but that might be fun to camp out in, sometimes... sort of like a tiny mobile home that isn't all that mobile.
Thank you, Sir. What happens after 14 days?
Don't worry about that. You won't survive beyond the first 3.