Cold war bunker to offer up its secrets in public guided tour

The former radar station at RAF Holmpton, near Withernsea, was a top secret site designed to give an early warning of any attack or imminent threat from the Soviet Union or Eastern Bloc.

But now the public will be offered guided tours of the site – including the massive concrete command bunker 100ft below ground – as part of a national celebration of diverse architecture, history and culture.

The head of operations at RAF Holmpton will give a maximum of 30 people a tour of the facility on Thursday, September 9, as part of more than 4,000 events being held over four days through the Heritage Open Days scheme.

English Heritage outreach manager Helen Keighley said: "Every year the event gets bigger. Last time over 400 properties took part regionally and once again there will be a Heritage Open Day venue on nearly everyone's doorstep.

"Many of the properties opening up are normally off limits to the public, so this is a fabulous opportunity to explore, discover and have fun.

"Not only are the secrets and history laid bare, you can also meet the people who live or work in those buildings and who are delighted to share their knowledge and enthusiasm."

Visitors to RAF Holmpton will be taken through the engineering sections of the bunker in a two-hour tour and hear how it was built during the 1950s, with some areas being shown to the public for the first time.

A film about the site will also be shown.

Radar was first introduced to the area in 1941 when equipment was installed on the cliff top at Out Newton, about three miles east of Holmpton.

The present site of RAF Holmpton was built between 1951 and 1952 and started its operational life in 1953 as an early warning radar station. It remained operational until 1974, when it became a training facility for RAF radar technicians.

It was refurbished as an emergency war headquarters for RAF Support Command during the 1980s, and reverted to a training centre at the end of the Cold War.

It began offering limited access to the public in 2004 and is undergoing a refurbishment project that is expected to be completed in 2012.

Other sites being opened between September 9 and 12 in East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire include historic gardens, churches, and industrial buildings.

A 1940s classroom is being created at Wilderspin National School Museum in Barton upon Humber and the prison cells at the 19th century Grimsby town hall are being unlocked.

In Hull, popular sites that have taken part previously will be open again, including St Charles Borromeo RC Church, Holy Trinity Church, and Charterhouse, along with some new additions such as Sutton Methodist Church.

There will also be tours of other well-known city institutions, including the KC Stadium, the Guildhall and Hull Truck Theatre.

Free tours will be given around Victoria Dock, the Old Town, the Marina, Sutton Village, as well as themed talks covering city centre architecture and even the oddities of the Old Town's street furniture.

A town crier masterclass is being held in Trinity Square, where there will be a poetry competition with the chance to read to a live audience.

There will also be a Heritage Pub Trail, telling the story of the city through a selection of the Old Town's historic pubs.

To book a tour of RAF Holmpton e-mail hods @rafholmpton.com.