The world’s rich and famous are investing in nuclear bunkers. In 2023, Mark Zuckerberg reportedly spent more than $270 million on a compound in Hawaii, which featured a 5,000 square foot underground shelter.
Kim Kardashian, Tom Cruise and Shaquille O’Neal are said to have invested in bunkers of their own too.
If you’re looking to follow suit but don’t have millions to spare, you might be in luck: a Cold War-era bunker in Norfolk is up for auction with a guide price of £20,000.
Located in Dersingham, close to the royals’ Sandringham Estate, the bunker was built in 1957 as a Royal Observer Corps (ROC) post.
The ROC was a group of appointed civilians who manned the 1,563 similar bunkers installed across the country during the Cold War, between 1947 and 1991.
In the event of a nuclear attack, bunkers like this one were designed to be used to report on the location and power of the attack and to monitor radioactive fallout.
The ROC stood down at the end of the Cold War in 1991, and many posts were decommissioned and sold off in the following years. This bunker was known as Post 12 of Group Six in Norwich and has been in private ownership since 1992.
It is sold with 0.12 acres of land and a Class A Orlit hut. This was erected in the early 1950s and would have been used to spot aircrafts during the Second World War.
Above ground, all that is visible of the bunker is a block of concrete with an entrance hatch. The bunker itself is accessed by a 15-foot metal ladder and contains two rooms.
It was designed to accommodate three observers, and, when in use, would have been equipped with canvas chairs, a folding table, shelf, cupboard and pair of metal-framed bunk beds.
It would also have housed the volunteers’ equipment: a Fixed Survey Meter, Bomb Power Indicator and Ground Zero Indicator.
Today, the bunker retains its original layout. The larger of the two rooms, which would have been the monitoring and sleeping room, contains a metal bunkbed, shelving units and a desk. The smaller room houses the original toilet.
“This particular [bunker] is in exceptional condition,” says Stephen, the property’s current owner, in a promotional video.
“It’s been owned since 1992. It’s always been kept clean; it’s perfectly dry – which is most unusual for some of the posts.”
Initially, Stephen ran the site as a small museum, which is partly why the bunker and Orlit hut have been so well preserved. In more recent years, the site has been used as a campsite for family events.
“I’ve let friends come up and spend time here,” Stephen adds. “You’ve got 360 degrees of stunning Norfolk countryside to look at, and absolute peace and tranquillity.”
The bunker, Orlit hut and adjoining land will be auctioned online by Auction House East Anglia on 8 May.
The auctioneers believe that the site could be “re-equipped to echo the post’s heyday and become a miniature museum”, continued as a pop-up campsite or used as a unique getaway.
Due to the 28-day rule, the land can be used for temporary stays for up to 28 days without planning permission being required.
There is clearly demand for such bunkers. Last year, for example, another ROC bunker in Cumbria attracted 65 bidders and eventually sold for £48,000 at auction – three times more than its guide price of £15,000.
A World War Two shelter in Surrey, meanwhile, was auctioned with a guide price of £165,000, and a house with a 50-person air raid shelter hit the market for £799,950 last June.
“This is truly a special opportunity for those who are drawn to properties with historical significance,” says Mark Upston, area manager at Auction House East Anglia.
“This post was once a vital part of our defences and will be a treasured asset to a buyer keen on preserving our past.”
