Wallington’s abandoned Cold War nuclear bunker

*Historical* This small and cramped underground bunker was built to house Royal Observer Corps (ROC) volunteers. Unused for over 30 years, several ‘Urbex’ investigators have visited the site to document it.

It’s situated on the Little Woodcote estate at the bend on the Oaks Track (map below). During the Cold War with Russia between 1947 and 1991, the British government built 1563 posts.

Approximately half of the posts built have been demolished, either on stand down by the ROC or by private owners in subsequent years.

This one was built in 1960 and closed in 1991. The bunkers were built to a standard design consisting of a 14-foot (4.3 m)-deep access shaft, a toilet/store and a monitoring room. They had air vents and monitoring equipment poking out of the ground, with occupants being self-sufficient for up to 14 days.

Designed to house three people, these mini-shelters were places where volunteers could measure nuclear fallout and broadcast messages to the public after an attack.

In 2016, a member of the website 28 Days Later commented: “This site has changed immensely since the previous report in 2010 and, bar the main entrance, it is now almost completely covered in dense overgrowth. The inside however, was in surprisingly good condition considering, with some nice little pieces such as mattresses, eye irrigation, and a sump pump in full working order, which I had a few minutes of fun playing with.”

Below is a map which shows the approximate location of the ROC post.

Who owns the bunker now is unclear, though it looks to be situated in a private builders’ yard – perhaps owned by Dobbies Garden Centre, close by. According to Subbrit, the structure is said to be currently locked.

Several have been turned into museums – if it were possible, would you like that to happen to this one too?

Credits/sources: ROC Heritage,  28 Days Later, UK airfield guide, The Guardian, The Broadway Tower, and Subterranea Britannica. Thanks to Charlie Mansell for the tip-off. What do you know about any of this? I’d love to know your feedback.