First and foremost, a huge thank you has to go out to my mate Fordy who owns the bunker and agreed to show me around. You really are an Original Gang$ta. (Insider joke.)
The AAOR bunker at Ullenwood (or more formally known as the Ullenwood: 2 Group 106 AAOR for the Brockworth GDA (Whatever that means)) is perched high above Cheltenham on Leckhampton Hill, at the edge of the Cotswold scarp. Leckhampton being where I live, I have always wanted to have a look inside the bunker ever since it came on the market several years ago.
It was built in the 1950's, and the design is centred around a anti-aircraft operations room (AAOR) that is spread over two levels. By the end of the 1950's it had become Group Headquarters for the Civil Defence Corps in Gloucestershire, reporting to a control centre at Hope Cove. However, this ended in 1985 and it became the main emergency centre for Gloucestershire County Council until the end of civil defence in the UK. It was then used by the local Fire Service for training purposes right up until it was sold in recent years. Some notable guests include Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
The bunker covers almost 1300 square meters, has concrete walls more than 2 feet thick and a huge diesel generator which is fully intact, like the rest of the bunker. It is amazing how everything is still intact, from large stuff like the generator to small things like the original curved perspex in the "ops" room.
These are the large recessed blast doors present at the entrance...
Moving through these led to a large entrance hall. A staircase lead down to the generator room, and a small manouverable crane hung overhead. This would have been used to help lower diesel fuel down to the generator.
The large Russel-Newbery generator itself is fully intact - right down to the controls.
The corridor network was endless. Literally.
It eventually ended up at the two level map room or the "ops" room, formally known as the AAOR.
Viewing balconies are separated from the main room by perspex. Note the original curved perspex in the following photos.
We made our way upstairs to an equally confusing maze of rooms and corridors.
The building is full of staircases - it can be very easy to get lost.
A sprinkler pump and valve (or at least I think thats what it is)...
This is the view over the map room from one of the upstairs balconies, of which there are several.
Upstairs also featured a kitchen which contained some crockery from when the bunker was functional...
... and the shower room.
There was also a document store featuring some awesome cabinets that could be moved by spinning the wheel...
Nearby there were also some original ROC maps, and emergency call centre documents.
What a fantastic thing to have in your garden, thanks Fordy!
The AAOR bunker at Ullenwood (or more formally known as the Ullenwood: 2 Group 106 AAOR for the Brockworth GDA (Whatever that means)) is perched high above Cheltenham on Leckhampton Hill, at the edge of the Cotswold scarp. Leckhampton being where I live, I have always wanted to have a look inside the bunker ever since it came on the market several years ago.
It was built in the 1950's, and the design is centred around a anti-aircraft operations room (AAOR) that is spread over two levels. By the end of the 1950's it had become Group Headquarters for the Civil Defence Corps in Gloucestershire, reporting to a control centre at Hope Cove. However, this ended in 1985 and it became the main emergency centre for Gloucestershire County Council until the end of civil defence in the UK. It was then used by the local Fire Service for training purposes right up until it was sold in recent years. Some notable guests include Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
The bunker covers almost 1300 square meters, has concrete walls more than 2 feet thick and a huge diesel generator which is fully intact, like the rest of the bunker. It is amazing how everything is still intact, from large stuff like the generator to small things like the original curved perspex in the "ops" room.
These are the large recessed blast doors present at the entrance...
Moving through these led to a large entrance hall. A staircase lead down to the generator room, and a small manouverable crane hung overhead. This would have been used to help lower diesel fuel down to the generator.
The large Russel-Newbery generator itself is fully intact - right down to the controls.
The corridor network was endless. Literally.
It eventually ended up at the two level map room or the "ops" room, formally known as the AAOR.
Viewing balconies are separated from the main room by perspex. Note the original curved perspex in the following photos.
We made our way upstairs to an equally confusing maze of rooms and corridors.
The building is full of staircases - it can be very easy to get lost.
A sprinkler pump and valve (or at least I think thats what it is)...
This is the view over the map room from one of the upstairs balconies, of which there are several.
Upstairs also featured a kitchen which contained some crockery from when the bunker was functional...
... and the shower room.
There was also a document store featuring some awesome cabinets that could be moved by spinning the wheel...
Nearby there were also some original ROC maps, and emergency call centre documents.
What a fantastic thing to have in your garden, thanks Fordy!
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