Cold War bunker discovered at Scarborough Castle
A lost Cold War bunker has been discovered at Scarborough Castle with an archaeological dig uncovering it. The bunker would have once been used by the Royal Observer Corps to plot nuclear bombs falling across Britain, with experts opening the entrance and lowering cameras into the chamber to assess its condition.
The Cold War bunker had been located on the headland within the grounds of Scarborough Castle and is one of over 1,500 posts around the UK from the Cold War. It was built in 1963/64 to detect nuclear explosions at a time when the threat of nuclear war was ever present. Sealed and buried in 1968, its location and condition had been unknown ever since.
Designed to survive an attack, its posts were built to a near identical spec. This includes communication facilities and bunkbeds for the occupants. The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) would have manned the bunker, a civil defence organisation made up of over 20,000 volunteers.
After careful analysis of existing data and a newly commissioned ground survey, English Heritage experts, with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, were able to pinpoint its location. An archaeological dig began on Saturday 7th March, with the entrance to the post discovered that weekend, and the sealed entrance being opened to assess its condition.
The discovery is part of a project by English Heritage to mark the ROC’s 100th year in 2025, including a search for past members and an event at the York Cold War Bunker. “It will help to tell the story of this unsung organisation, largely made up of volunteers,” English Heritage said.
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