During the Cold War there were over 1,500 bunkers and monitoring posts across the UK designed to monitor nuclear fallout in the event of an attack. Most have been sold or demolished, and York Cold War Bunker is the only example which has been carefully preserved and is open to the public.

The bunker was staffed entirely by volunteers from the Royal Observer Corps (ROC), who have helped bring the story of the bunker to life by sharing their stories and mementoes.

Rachel Bowers, Site Manager, said: "They were generous with their donations - uniforms, paperwork, and other objects - but most importantly they were generous with their time.

"They showed us how the building worked, what they were trained to do in a nuclear attack and told us the stories which bring the history of York Cold War Bunker to life."

Among the volunteers who returned is the former Group Commandant Jim Millington, whose uniform still hangs in the Officers Room.

He said: ""One of the most defining moments I have was the final day we had here. We had a stand down parade at the Royal Air Force station at Linton-On-Ouse, and we had 450 people on parade that day. It was quite a day."

Opening to the public

After the bunker was decommissioned in 1991 it stood derelict until 2001, when it came under our care. Although it had flooded and was in a poor state of repair, it had survived without any alterations. It took 5 years of building works, restoration and research to make it safe for the public to access, and it opened in May 2006. Since then, over 38,000 people have visited the site for a glimpse into life during the Cold War.

York Cold War Bunker is now open to the public, with guided tours and an introductory film explaining the threat of nuclear war.

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