Exhibition reveals forgotten story of women who watched skies in Cold War for threat of nuclear Armageddon

Some worked at the massive underground bunker at RAF Holmpton near Withernsea, plotting the movements of aircraft, while others volunteered at the York Cold War Bunker, which coordinated data from dozens of monitoring posts.

From outside RAF Holmpton looks like an unassuming bungalow standing alone in a field, but buried 120ft underneath there's a warren of tunnels, built in the 1950s.

Once a listening facility and war HQ designed to withstand a nuclear conflict, 90 women worked alongside 700 men.

Most were in their teens when they started at RAF Holmpton. They didn't get pensions, only earned two-thirds of men's pay - and if they fell pregnant, whether married or not, they were dishonourably discharged.

Photographer Lee Karen Stow spent a year and a half tracking down women, including those who worked with local authority Emergency Planning and protesters at Greenham Common, which only disbanded in 2000.

In their testimonies, the women reflect on living through this unique period of history, which was dominated by the threat of annihilation from nuclear war.

Visitors to the exhibition at the treasure house in Beverley can also see examples of some of the substantial Cold War-related material held in East Riding Archives, plus technical equipment, such as radiation counters and warning devices, on loan from York Cold War Bunker (English Heritage).

The exhibition is the result of an Arts Council England funded project, which started back in 2018. It will run until 19 March.

A talk by Lee Karen Stow on the project is planned for March – follow East Riding Museums on social media or sign up for the East Riding Museums newsletter on eastridingmuseums.co.uk to keep up-to-date.

Admission is free and no booking is needed. The Treasure House is located in Champney Road in Beverley.