Pontefract’s restored nuclear bunker is up for auction

A 1950s nuclear bunker designed to house three people will go under the hammer later this month.

The Royal Observer Corp (ROC) bunker on New Road in Pontefract, Badsworth, is one of more than 1,500 monitoring posts built to protect volunteers who will measure blast waves and radioactive fallout in the event of an attack.

The shelter, which was restored to its original state by its current owner, could accommodate enough food and water for 14 days, along with landline and radio communication facilities.

The bunker will be offered for sale by SDL Property Auctions on 21 November for between £15,000 and £20,000.

The sanctuary has a fence, gate and its own grounds with direct road access and was once featured on Channel 4’s property show George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces.

Andrew Parker, auctioneer and partner at SDL Property Auctions, said: “There are only a handful of ROC nuclear bunkers left in the country, so it is highly unusual for this lot to be sold at our auction.

“This is only the fourth time we have put a bunker up for sale and the three we have previously sold have generated great interest and we are confident this group will do the same.

“Some interested parties are curious about what the inside of the nuclear bunker looks like, but many are actually considering buying it to secure a piece of their own history.”

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