Historic Dent nuclear bunker to be a tourist site, preserving Cold War history for visits and education.
Bunkers protected volunteers after a nuclear attack. They measured blast waves and fallout. Each bunker held three people. They had 14 days of food and water. A landline and radio were inside.
The Dent bunker still has a working phone. Broadband is even connected there now. The bunkers closed in the 1990s. The nuclear war threat seemed lower then. Telecom companies bought many bunkers and used them for cell phone masts.
Someone bought the Dent bunker last July. The price was £48,000 at auction. It cost more than double the guide price. The new owner did some work, adding hardstanding, a path, and a pod.
They now seek permission for the changes. The owner wants to change the bunker’s use. It would become a tourist attraction. Schools and history clubs could visit and people could learn about the bunker’s history.
Five or six posts exist in the Yorkshire Dales. Only Dent and Grinton posts aren’t destroyed. The Dent post is in the best shape. It is a key part of Cold War history.
The change would share this history. Schools and groups would see it scheduled. Visits would have about twelve people who would arrive in two vehicles or less. Open days would host twenty to thirty people who would come at timed slots.
The pod will show the bunker’s history. Picture boards will tell the story there. The owner will limit visitor numbers and open days per year too.