Historic war room and bunker with government ties hits the market

Clusters of thick vines snake across the crumbling concrete of the building.

It’s been decades since anyone has walked through the doors of the unique property in Bristol that has deep ties to the British government.

Built in the early 1950s, the site at Flowers Hill looks unremarkable from above ground. 

It’s a deliberate design, to hide what’s in plain sight.

The building is the Brislington War Room. One level is above ground with the lower level a sunken underground.

It was originally built during the Cold War and ‘H-bomb era’ as a backup location for British government officials. 

The Cold War era in Britain spanned 44 years, from 1947 until 1991, whereas the ‘H-bomb era’ ran between 1952 and 1958. 

During that time, Britain developed its own nuclear weapons, including hydrogen bombs.

The bunker’s reinforced concrete roof and five-feet concrete walls were there to protect officials as they hunkered down and continued work in the event of an attack.

Yet, just years after being finalised, regional war rooms across Britain became outdated and were soon abandoned.

The fate of the Brislington War Room fell to Avon County Council, which rented the property.

Yet, by the early 1980s, a jump in rent saw the building left empty.

Reminisce of the building’s past remain evident on the multiple rooms underground.

Many of the rooms are derelict and worn. There are missing fixtures, damaged walls and floors and spaces littered with graffiti. 

Then there are the rooms that appear frozen in time. Like the shower block and a narrow room lined with timber partitioned desks.

Today, after more than 70 years, the bunker has come on the market for sale.

It is being auctioned by Hollis Morgan in the UK with a price guide of £50,000 ($100,000). For that price you could buy a boat shed.

It is listed as having three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a spacious living room for guests.

“A unique opportunity to acquire a large property with change of use granted with scope for a wide range of possible uses,” the listing reads.

The listing photos might paint a bleak picture of clean up jobs, it’s all about the location.  

Flowers Hill in Brislington is about 5 kilometres from Bristol City Centre and just off the A4 – a major road, historically known as Bath Road – as it travels to Bath.

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