Video exclusive: Cold War bunker that’s now a des res

The bombproof bungalow in the village of Wawne, near Beverley, is a converted nuclear bunker. Its reinforced concrete walls and roof are two feet thick. There’s no chance of subsidence either, its concrete foundations are 16 feet deep.

The property, on the market for £365,000 with Beercock, Wiles and Wick, is one of a series built in the 1950s by a government in the grip of fear. The Cold War had begun and the nuclear arms race was gathering speed.

The government decided to replicate key parts of its infrastructure in 19 secret bunkers placed across Britain. The plan was that 150 key officials would have the task of restoring “civil governance” in the aftermath of an attack. Each concrete HQ had a secure phone linked directly to Whitehall and specially constructed cabinets were installed to protect IT and secure systems from the electro-magnetic pulses of a nuclear blast.

The single floor above ground was assigned for offices, while the basement was carved into dormitories. As the threat of war subsided, the Wawne bunker became surplus to requirements and was used as offices by the council then as a training facility for Humberside Police.

Developer Kevin Howe bought it 12 years ago, though even his wife though he had taken leave of his senses.

“It was next to a small development I was building and I asked the owner if I could buy it. Everyone thought I was mad but I trained as an architectural technician so I could see its potential,” he said.

Mr Howe turned the redundant building into two properties, keeping one for himself, wife Linzi, and their children, Courtney and Kieran.

The first job was to remove the diesel engine and air-filtration systems. The priority was getting natural light into the property, but putting windows and roof lights into the bombproof structure proved problematic.

“There were only three windows in the place and now there are 16. We had to cut out some of the concrete using a drill and a special wire cutter from Germany. Then we had to crane the concrete off the roof and use a JCB to pull it out of the window openings on the side of the building. It was a very time-consuming and costly exercise,” said Kevin.

To improve the Brutalist appearance of the bunker, Mr Howe clad it in block and render, while inside, he remodelled the space to create two spacious homes.

His house comprises a hall, cloakroom, dining area, sitting room, study, dining kitchen, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The ventilated basement beneath has the same amount of square footage.

He and his family are selling to move back to Kevin’s native West Hull and the bungalow’s £365,000 price tag looks like a bargain considered the original build costs of the equivalent of £15m today.

“It’s been a wonderful place to live and it will hard to leave,” says Mr Howe. “Although my wife thought I was mad to buy it, she will probably cry when we go.”

• Cedar Close, Wawne, is for sale with Beercock Wiles and Wick, on 01482 870832.