Dad sells Yorkshire nuclear bunker for double guide price amid WW3 fears

Amid growing fears of global conflict, a father has managed to sell his nuclear bunker in Pontefract for nearly double its estimated value as Britons hunt for secure havens, fearing the onset of World War Three. Jon Graves catapulted past his Cold War-era ex-Royal Observer Corps bunker's £15,000 guideline, securing a staggering £29,000 at Thursday's auction.

The astute businessman had meticulously revived the 15-foot-deep fallout shelter, which functioned from 1964 until 1991, after snapping it up three years prior. Reluctantly, he offered this military-standard refuge to the highest bidder, where it was promptly acquired through an anonymous proxy.

Despite the significant sale price, the new owner might still be considering it a steal given the skyrocketing interest in such underground sanctuaries, particularly as Vladimir Putin appears ominously on the verge of "pressing the red button". Moreover, recent Russian 'nuclear-capable' strikes in Ukraine have only increased anxieties about a potential full-scale war.

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Jon, preparing for his relocation to Dubai, noticed that Russia's aggressive moves in Ukraine had ramped up the appeal of the site. He remarked: "It’s definitely topical with the way American politics is at the moment and with Russia and Ukraine fighting."

However, he was under no illusions about its defensive capabilities, conceding: "It wouldn’t survive a direct hit, that’s for sure, but from a novel perspective, it’s definitely interesting."

The entrepreneur also pointed out that because the property is not listed, future owners possess the freedom to remodel it, pending the requisite planning permissions. In fact, Jon noted: "It’s certainly big enough to record music in it."

Jon, a local entrepreneur with a passion for military history, couldn't resist the opportunity to own one of the 1,500 observation bunkers scattered across the UK. When an underground pit near his Pontefract home came up for sale, he seized the chance.

After breaking through a six-inch concrete cap, Jon was amazed to find the bunker watertight and in relatively good condition. He shared: "I’d always wanted to own one, but every time I saw one come up, they were all down south, miles away from home."

Despite never having been inside before the purchase, Jon took a gamble: "We’d never been in it. We took a punt really that it was going to be ok. The top of it was in a reasonable condition - all be it with the cap on top."

To his delight, upon opening, the bunker was dry: "And when we first opened it, it was bone dry inside, which was great. Then of course we could get on with decorating and renovating it."

Jon explained that in the event of a nuclear explosion in Britain, these bunkers would have played a crucial role as communication lines would likely be disrupted, with observers tasked to watch for bomb light or record nuclear fallout.

Jon's bunker, affectionately known as Upton ROC, is believed to have detected radioactive fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. In renovating this remarkable underground space, Jon has painstakingly preserved its historical essence.

He shared his experience: "We tried to keep it in the same format, the same layout that was there originally, and I think we did that reasonably well."

Jon further detailed the restoration process, saying, "We ripped off all the old polystyrene tiles and cleaned it up, got rid of all the dead mice that were stuck in it, and just kind of decorated it."

He ensured every detail echoed the past, adding: "We furnished it and put back in what was already there. So we didn’t put brand new modern beds in, we put old metal beds back in."

His ambition was for a respectful revival: "It was always about trying to tastefully restore it to a condition that you could stay and sleep in without the noise from outside."

Tensions escalated this week when Putin commanded the first suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) attacks on objectives in the Ukrainian municipality of Dnipro. This aggressive military action follows after allegations that President Zelensky authorised strikes within Russia using weaponry sourced from the UK and US.

In light of the escalating conflict, Mathew Wright of the company Burrowed—specialists in creating 'fully fitted prefabricated underground bunkers'—observed a spike in interest. Speaking about the growing concern over security, he reported: "In the last six months we’ve had a couple of thousand inquiries. And there probably been double the amount usual of inquires since Monday."

Auctioneer and partner at SDL Property Auctions, Andrew Parker, commented on the exceptional attention garnered by a recently sold bunker: "This is the fourth nuclear bunker we have sold at auction and not surprisingly they have all attracted huge amounts of interest."

He added, "There are not that many relics still around that epitomise the threat and paranoia of the Cold War era in the way a nuclear bunker can." Moreover, Parker noted its unique appeal, saying: "This one had also been beautifully restored, which makes it even more unusual."