English Heritage make major Cold War discovery at UK seaside castle | History | News
A Cold War bunker that had been buried for decades was discovered during an archaeological dig at Scarborough Castle. English Heritage last weekend unearthed the forgotten lookout point that will be used by the Royal Observer Corps to monitor the threat of a nuclear bomb.
Built between 1963-64, this station was one of more than 1,500 masts used in the UK during the Cold War to detect nuclear explosions at a time when the threat of nuclear war was looming. Designed to withstand attack, the masts were built to almost the same specifications as communications facilities and bunk beds for members of the ROC, a largely volunteer civil defense organization formed to detect, identify and track aircraft over Britain.
Since it was sealed and buried in 1968, its location and condition have remained secret on the headland in the grounds of Scarborough Castle.
But last weekend, English Heritage experts, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, discovered the entrance following an archaeological dig that started on March 7. They located the entrance through data analysis and ground survey.
In the images, some of the bricks appear to be completely intact, including an inscription on the block that reads ‘Scarborough’. The exterior of the entrance appears to be made of brick surrounding a possible concrete or stone centre, with exposed metal railings visible.
Kevin Booth, English Heritage’s head of collections, explained why this location is particularly strategic for the PRC.
He said: “Wherever you lived in Britain, you were probably within a few miles of a ROC outpost, but few people knew they existed.
“It seems odd that a Cold War bunker would be built inside Scarborough Castle, but in many ways it is the perfect location: this headland has been an observation post for thousands of years, from a bronze age settlement, a Roman signal station, a medieval fortress, a World War I gun battery and, here, a 1960s concrete bunker awaiting the apocalypse.”
This supports the charity’s ongoing efforts to tell the story of this eponymous ROC organization, which has over 20,000 volunteers.
The group was founded in 1925, during World War II. He played a significant role in World War II and was given Royal status following his contribution to the Battle of Britain.
Helen Featherstone, Northern England director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “It is truly exciting that this lost shelter has been uncovered by the team working on this project, which marks 100 years of the Royal Observer Corps.
“This finding strengthens our understanding of their story and sheds light on their important work protecting the UK.”
