WWII bunker in Dorset, England turned into a hotel (13 photos)

Abandoned radar station, which was once alerted the British about the Nazi bombers, now turned into nice hotel; one night in it will cost 350 pounds.





A windowless concrete structure was built on a hillside. at Ringsted Bay, Dorset in 1941 and served as a radar base RAF [Royal Air Force of Great Britain]. She was part early warning system "Chain Home", developed by Winston Churchill. The system consisted of bunkers scattered throughout the southern coast, which were used to track the German Luftwaffe.

The bunker was later repaired and used as a rotary station for monitoring Soviet bombers during Cold War, but was decommissioned in 1956.

Now the old bunker has been given new life as hotels with a kitchen, two bedrooms and stunning views of the coast Dorset - and it is a hit with vacationers who are already booked for the whole summer.










Disguised as a hillside, the bunker is located on the ground, owned by dairy farmer Johnny Russell, whose family owns area for over 400 years. Building listed as a monument II degree, it was almost completely hidden from view, outwardly resembling just a grass mound.

Last year, Russell received permission to turn it into holiday home, which is now equipped with large glass doors, filling the once damp and dark space with light. Unique the house-hotel can accommodate up to four people in two bedrooms, and prices start at £702 for two nights. It opened for vacationers only in April and already fully booked for July, August and September, and in June there are only a few free nights.








The bunker has an open plan living and dining area, kitchen, bedroom with two single beds, bedroom with bunk beds bed and shower. Also now there is a heated floor, smart TV, Wi-Fi and modern kitchen appliances, including a dishwasher car. However, the owners still left hints of a "past life" bunker, leaving bare concrete walls, protruding pipes and wiring.

Architect Jonathan Plant said the intent was to celebrate the historical significance of the building. He said, "It's important for us to make sure that anyone who stays in the bunker will be able to understand the history of the building and its original appointment. Therefore, the reconstruction took into account the the fact that the bunker belongs to category II, the original concrete walls and other features. Work has already begun on the second bunker on Russell's land, which is much larger, but will renovated in the same style.








The bunker was part of the Chain Home system, the world's first network early warning and the first military radar system, which has reached operational status. The innovative technology has been critical during the first salvos of the war and became a lifesaver around the British, helping them detect enemy bombers. The towering metal structures and their bunkers were used to determining the direction of Nazi warplanes, which allowed RAF fighters to intercept them.