'Grand Designs-style' nuclear bunker up for sale

The bunker opened in 1960 but was decommissioned in 1968

A former nuclear bunker in Rutland that has been given planning consent to be transformed into a modern home is to be sold at auction.

The 1.4-acre bunker and former reservoir site, which sits half a mile from Uppingham, has been given a guide price of £650,000.

Its listing describes it as a "Grand Designs-style" opportunity, with "cathedral-type ceilings", a large glass frontage and "stunning" views over the countryside.

SDL Property Auctions said the bunker, which opened in 1960, formed part of a UK-wide network of 1,500 Cold War underground monitoring posts operated by the Royal Observer Corps.

The idea is they would be used to monitor nuclear blasts and the ensuing fall-out in the event of a major escalation.

It was decommissioned in 1968.

The auction firm said the structure offered a development opportunity

Auctioneer Andrew Parker said there had been "a lot of interest" in the bunker, which he said was "something of a rarity, with its unique Cold War history".

He added planning consent for its transformation into a modern home had been granted by Rutland County Council.

The auction is due to take place on 24 April.

In July 2024, another Royal Observer Corps underground bunker in the Yorkshire Dales was sold for £48,000.

The auctioneers have shared an artist impression of a potential transformation