South West Water Cold War bunker up for auction

The secret emergency centre was built in 1978

A hidden underground Cold War Bunker near Newquay is being offered for sale by South West Water (SWW).

SWW said it was part of a secret emergency centre built in 1978, to protect essential water and sewerage operations in a nuclear war.

It includes several blast proof doors, an air lock, decontamination room, dining room and two dormitories.

The 3,000 sq ft (279 sq m) bunker, designed for 16 people, and centre above has a guide price of £50,000.

Brian Blake, South West Water asset performance manager, who worked for the region's water authority at the time, said: "I remember that the government said we had to provide an underground control centre in case of emergency which was bomb and nuclear proof.

The bunker includes several blast proof doors, an air lock, decontamination room, dining room and two dormitories

"It wasn't fully kitted out as there was no furniture in there, but if something had happened you could have lived in there for weeks."

The water company said many of its former storage reservoirs and old pumping stations had been turned into "unusual homes".

Chris Shapland, SWW's property manager said: "We regularly auction redundant assets to reduce our costs and keep customers' bills as low as possible, but this is the first time we've offered a genuine piece of cold war history.

"Novelty sites with small areas of surplus land always attract strong interest as people are able to invest relatively modest sums for their little bit of England."

The bunker and some adjacent land will be sold at auction, by Webber's Estate Agents, on 25 March.