An old Cold War bunker in Yorkshire Dales might transform into a tourist spot for history buffs and school trips.
The Royal Observer Corps built it in 1958. They made over 1,500 bunkers like it. This happened during the Cold War with Russia.
These bunkers protected volunteers from nuclear attacks. They could measure blasts and fallout there. Each had space for three people. Bunkers stored two weeks of food and water. They also had phones and radios for contact.
The Dent bunker might still have a phone line. These bunkers shut down in the 1990s. The nuclear threat seemed lower then. Telecom companies bought many bunkers. They used them for cell phone towers.
The Dent bunker sold for £48,000 in July 2024. It was more than double the estimated price. The new owner seeks permission for recent work. This includes a pathway, pod, also a hard surface. They want to turn it into a tourist site now. Plans went to the Park Authority.
The plan says it will change usage to an attraction. It would offer open days and school visits. History clubs and individuals could also visit. They want to educate people about the bunker.
Documents show a few posts exist nearby still. Dent and Grinton are the only two intact. The Dent post is in the best shape. It’s important to Cold War history. Making it a tourist spot shares this history. The public, schools, groups can see it. Scheduled days are planned for these visits.
School trips involve about twelve people. They would arrive in one or two cars. Open days would host twenty to thirty people. Visits happen at different times each day, spread out.
Inside, the pod has display boards telling the story. The applicant will limit visitors per open day. They also limit the attraction’s annual open days. This information appears in the documents too.