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Report (Permission Visit) - Devizes Cold War Bunker, Wiltshire - September 2014 | Underground Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report (Permission Visit) Devizes Cold War Bunker, Wiltshire - September 2014

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Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
The library in Devizes was built in 1968 and opened on the 27th November of that year, but not many people know that at the same time that the library was built, a secret bunker was also constructed directly underneath the library for the purposes of holding the Borough Council in the event of a Russian strike.

History: The basement of the library, built in 1968, was designed to house councillors and officers of the former Devizes Borough Council in the event that Britain was under nuclear attack. It was the height of the Cold War and only six years after the Cuban missile crisis. The cost of building the library was £65,500, a lot of money in those days for a mere local library building. The bunker was designed to protect up to 20 people and keep them safe from blast and nuclear fallout for months. A quote from a local veteran journalist: “It was very much hush-hush. Although councillors and council officers knew all about it, I don’t think the public did. It was intended for the borough council. I don’t think you could have got many people down there from County Hall.â€￾ Much of the equipment is still there, although the basement is now used to house surplus books.

The Visit: My first attempt at a permission visit and surprisingly easy. I just went and asked to have a look and to my surprise they guided me around there and then. But I would not advise people to follow me, as the bunker today is used as offices and storage space for the library above and I sense that I only got in as I was first to ask in years. I don't think they would appreciate a regular flow of people turning up.

The bunker complex is sizeable and covers an area matching the whole footprint of the library above. Air filters, fuel and water tanks, chemical toilets, a kitchen, original maps and signage can all be seen in immaculate condition.

For the purpose of this report I will only publish photos showing close-up detail and not whole room shots - as I said earlier the bunker is today used as offices and storage space and best not be showing all that.

Allegedly there is a second bunker built at the same time to host the Kennet District Council. I am still researching this, but is rumoured to be at Browfort on the Bath Road. Anybody with further info please PM me. Thanks.

Photos:

The Devizes Library - a horrible ugly building. Please don't think that Devizes is represented by this ugly monstrosity. Devizes really is a delightful historic market town and well worth a visit - honest (check out the Wadworth's Brewery or the Caen Hill locks flight for touristy things to do)

01-DevizesLibrary_zps829c3b99.jpg


Inside the bunker - entrance hall

02-EntranceHall_zps53f1fb51.jpg


Original signage

22-RadioRoom_zpsb7cd8f3c.jpg


The bathroom

05-Bathroom_zps1c31dbdb.jpg


Chemical toilets

07-ChemicalToilet_zpse50a8319.jpg


Handrinse Unit with instructions

08-HandWash_zpsdeee11ac.jpg


09-HandWashInstructions_zpsf2e867ad.jpg


Many air filter units can be found around the bunker

10-AirVent_zps78e4d36b.jpg


12-AirVent_zps1003152e.jpg


Water and fuel tanks

13-WaterTanks_zpse3a075d8.jpg


Original maps (it extends behind the bookshelf showing all the way to Kent)

18-MapRoom_zpsdec1ecbb.jpg


Escape Hatch

23-EscapeHatch_zpse85cc393.jpg


Thanks for looking :D
 

Oxygen Thief

Admin
Staff member
Admin
Thanks Bertie ! Been aware of this for a while but this is the first report I think I've seen. Cheers.
 

Maniac

rebmeM LD82
Regular User
That's great. It's amazing how many of these smaller bunkers exist, I know the council offices near me has one, but they aren't too keen on a visit despite me pestering them many times over the years. I might write another letter as it's been a couple of years since I last enquired and got told no.
 

The_Raw

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Pretty interesting that, good to know the councillors had the safety of their community in mind when they built this :rolleyes:
 

Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
Pretty interesting that, good to know the councillors had the safety of their community in mind when they built this :rolleyes:

Seems the councillors of Devizes had a hugely overblown sense of their own importance - I am pretty sure that the Russian Generals in Moscow never had a missile targeted specifically at Devizes Borough Council.

I wonder if the crapness of the library building is because the budget was wasted on the bunker below. Seems even in the 1960s councils were taking your money and wasting it
 

A man called Martyn

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Very nice to see how well preserved it is. Russian Generals may have being more interested in the V Bomber dispersal bases in the county, than the threat posed by the councillors of Devizes.
 

Wevsky

A Predisposed Tourist
Regular User
Interesting that mate i reckon there's plenty of these around the country
 

Oxygen Thief

Admin
Staff member
Admin
A little research goes a long way. Allow me to make some counter-quotes from Four Minute Warning by Bob Clarke...

Seems the councillors of Devizes had a hugely overblown sense of their own importance - I am pretty sure that the Russian Generals in Moscow never had a missile targeted specifically at Devizes Borough Council.

"Each County Council was obliged to maintain a standby protected site in case the main was destroyed or incapacitated for long periods. ...The Wiltshire county standby is located under the library..."

The bunker had nothing to do with the councillors of Devizes, the bunker wasn't even for them.

I wonder if the crapness of the library building is because the budget was wasted on the bunker below. Seems even in the 1960s councils were taking your money and wasting it

The crapness was deliberate...

"...if the building collapsed the weight of the debris would pose little threat to the bunker below."
 

Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
Many thanks to OT for the clarification - you are a wealth of knowledge and it's very impressive. :Not Worthy

My information came from an online local news website and that is where the quote I put in the history came from. Your source is much more trustworthy.
 

Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
Feeling very silly now.
Posted this thinking it was built for the local Borough Council. My source was an online local newspaper article featuring quotes from people who work at the library itself, local veteran reporters and local historians. Having just reviewed OT source, I now know this to be wrong and that this was built for Wiltshire County Council. The lesson here is not to believe the newspapers even if they are interviewing people who should know better!
 

WhoDerpsWins

Let's do this ting
Regular User
Nice one for sharing this. Interesting read too. Surprising how well prepared the country was for nuclear annihilation (to a degree) and good to see how much still exists.
 
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