A man bought a concreted nuclear bunker and made an amazing discovery (4 photos)

John Graves has shown how he restored the bunker and gave it an authentic historical look. Instead of modernizing it, he focused on returning the underground shelter to its original state.





John Graves, 37, a businessman and father of three from the UK, bought a nuclear bunker that turned out to be sealed with concrete but was in good condition.

The shelter, used by the Royal Observer Corps to monitor radioactive materials from 1964 to 1991, was under a layer of concrete. Graves bought it three years ago. However, after breaking through the concrete, he found the interior of the bunker intact and habitable.



Graves appeared on George Clarke's Amazing Spaces show, where he showed the process of restoring the bunker and arranging it in a historical style. Instead of modernizing, he focused on restoring the underground shelter to its original form - in the spirit of the Cold War.

"We always wanted to bring it back to a state where it would retain the historical spirit. I didn't want to install modern technology - just peace and privacy," the Briton said.





Graves' bunker, known as Upton ROC, was used to monitor nuclear fallout, including radioactive material spread after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. In the event that a nuclear weapon was used in Britain, observers in the bunkers would record flashes of light and record radioactive fallout using specialist equipment.

Graves said he had long dreamed of owning one of the 1,500 similar bunkers scattered across the country. When one of them, not far from his home in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, came on the market, he jumped at the opportunity. The bunker became a family retreat and the grounds were landscaped. John was amazed that it remained dry and airtight.



The bunker is equipped with everything needed for a comfortable stay, including old metal beds, furniture and period-correct furnishings. He restored the original layout and even left behind food supplies that would allow the occupants to survive for two weeks underground in the event of a nuclear threat.

The bunker, valued at £15,000-£20,000, will go on sale at SDL Property Auctions on November 21. Andrew Parker, the company's auctioneer, said it was a rare lot.

"There are only a few nuclear bunkers like this left in the UK and there is a lot of interest in selling these types of sites. Many people just want to see a piece of Cold War history, but there are also serious buyers who are willing to preserve a piece of history," he said.