Nestled in rural Essex the concrete centre was used to protect regional government in the wake of a deadly Soviet strike
This top secret nuclear bunker could be the ideal ‘ Grand Designs’ home - but expect family fallout if you buy it, as it has a £1.1m price tag.
Nestled in rural Essex the concrete centre was used to protect regional government in the wake of a deadly Soviet strike.
After the heat of The Cold War cooled down it was converted into a much-loved museum, which sadly shut in 2002.
It will go under the hammer today at a property auction.
The winning bidder can pick up the 2,000-sq metres for the same price as a one-bedroom flat in swanky Notting Hill.
Although it will need more than a lick of paint, as it currently sits derelict an isolated spot in Mistley, Essex.
But developer Reliant Building Contractors has managed to get planning permission to transform the site into a unique housing development.
So whoever buys the bunker from them can turn the once confidential complex into three plush apartments and also whack 28 homes on the site.
It is being sold by auctioneers Allsop.
Simon Hepworth, partner at the firm, said: "This is a unique opportunity to purchase a relic of the Cold War era.
"The planning consent allows for transformation of the former bunker into three exclusive dwellings, together with a further twenty-eight dwellings on the site in a time when there is a well-publicised shortage of housing in the south-east."
The blast-proof building boasts 75cm-thick concrete walls and the roof is more than one-metre deep.
It was built in 1951 and used in the Cold War to look out for hostile bombers approaching Britain from behind the Iron Curtain.
It cost the MoD £500,000 to build and was a command centre for the deployment and firing of anti-aircraft defences.
In 1963 the bunker was purchased by Essex County Council from the War Office at a cost of £5,250 and became their emergency headquarters in the event of a nuclear war.
(Source: Mirror)
