I visited this little gem with @norfolkexplorer (thanks for driving and letting me in on this explore) ((and I believe I need to give a further thanks as @norfolkexplorer was told about this by @Black Shuck)).
When we eventually spotted the little green monitoring post I was very excited. Not only did it not actually take us that long to find but it was, as expected, unlocked. My next emotion came (panic!) when we opened the 'lid' to it (which was lovely by the way as when you first opened it you could let go and the door rose open by itself). There were spiders crawling around and my word, that completely vertical ladder. Baring in mind I've hardly ever climbed even a sensible ladder in my life and I actually really don't like heights. But there was still something that made me want to get down there, and I did, even if I was trembling and wondering what I'd gotten myself into (literally).
So glad I did it though, it was entirely worth it. I still find it surreal that I was able to see this little piece of history. Knowing how many people had been so close to it and not seen it or had no idea what it was, assuming it was something to do with farming (I was one of those people). It's the most intact place I've been so far, what a good thing to see.
Onto a bit of history.
According to the subbrit site http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/roc/db/988807445.035003.html, this post was opened in March 1958 and was closed in September 1991.
ROC (Royal Observer Corps) monitoring posts were operated by volunteers during 1955 and 1991 as a result of the Corps nuclear reporting role during the Cold War. They are underground structures which are scattered across the UK. Nearly half of the posts were closed in 1968 as a reorganisation of the ROC. Over the following 40 years many others were closed due to structural problems (flooding, vandalism). By 1991 any that were left were then also closed when the tensions of the Cold War had ended. Today the majority of posts still actually exist albeit they may be in a derelict condition or used as something else, some are also available to buy at auction.
When we eventually spotted the little green monitoring post I was very excited. Not only did it not actually take us that long to find but it was, as expected, unlocked. My next emotion came (panic!) when we opened the 'lid' to it (which was lovely by the way as when you first opened it you could let go and the door rose open by itself). There were spiders crawling around and my word, that completely vertical ladder. Baring in mind I've hardly ever climbed even a sensible ladder in my life and I actually really don't like heights. But there was still something that made me want to get down there, and I did, even if I was trembling and wondering what I'd gotten myself into (literally).
So glad I did it though, it was entirely worth it. I still find it surreal that I was able to see this little piece of history. Knowing how many people had been so close to it and not seen it or had no idea what it was, assuming it was something to do with farming (I was one of those people). It's the most intact place I've been so far, what a good thing to see.
Onto a bit of history.
According to the subbrit site http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/roc/db/988807445.035003.html, this post was opened in March 1958 and was closed in September 1991.
ROC (Royal Observer Corps) monitoring posts were operated by volunteers during 1955 and 1991 as a result of the Corps nuclear reporting role during the Cold War. They are underground structures which are scattered across the UK. Nearly half of the posts were closed in 1968 as a reorganisation of the ROC. Over the following 40 years many others were closed due to structural problems (flooding, vandalism). By 1991 any that were left were then also closed when the tensions of the Cold War had ended. Today the majority of posts still actually exist albeit they may be in a derelict condition or used as something else, some are also available to buy at auction.
stick kettle on love
