Nuclear bunker teetering on the edge of a cliff is ‘days away’ from falling into the sea
A nuclear bunker could be ‘days away’ from falling into the sea.
The brick building, found above Tunstall Beach between Withernsea and Hornsea, on the East Yorkshire coast, was constructed around 100 yards from the cliff’s edge in 1959.
Almost 70 years on, the coastline has slowly eroded away, and it now sits precariously 25 feet above the sand and sea below.
Amateur historian Davey Robinson has been filming the bunker’s final days and uploading the footage to his YouTube channel Timothy’s Travel.
He believes it’s ‘a few days away’ from crumbling over the edge.
The hidden structure was constructed as a lookout station in the Cold War-era.
It was commissioned and operated by the Royal Observer Corps (ROC) and formed part of the UK’s Cold War civil defence network, used for nuclear blast detection and radiation monitoring.
It includes two small underground chambers intended for short-term occupancy, mainly by volunteers, and was decommissioned in the early 1990s.
The brick bunker, found above Tunstall Beach between Withernsea and Hornsea, on the East Yorkshire coast, was built around 100 yards from the cliff’s edge in 1959
Almost 70 years on, the coastline has slowly eroded away and it sits precariously 25 feet above the sand and sea below
The East Riding Council has since warned people not to visit the area out of fear the building could collapse
According to the Environment Agency, East Yorkshire has one of the fastest-eroding coastlines in the UK.
It said since Roman times, the land has lost around 3 miles along the coastline due to erosion.
The East Riding council has since warned people not to visit the area out of fear the building could collapse.
A spokesperson from the council said: ‘Recognising the risk posed by the structure, the council would ask that people avoid the area, both at the cliff top and at the beach as it descends the cliff.
‘The council would also remind visitors and residents to always maintain a safe distance to the base of eroding cliffs, due to the risks associated.
‘East Riding council does not have any statutory responsibilities connected to the structure.
‘The structure sits on an area of privately owned land.
‘This location lies within Policy Unit E (Rolston to Waxholme) of the Shoreline Management Plan.
‘The approach for this location remains at “no active intervention”.
‘Therefore, the coast is undefended in this area, which allows coastal processes to continue.
‘The Ministry of Defence originally requisitioned the land to build the structure.
‘But following its closure, the land was returned to the landowner, which included any military infrastructure upon it.
‘The responsibility for this infrastructure therefore belongs to the landowner, and the management responsibility for the rural beach in this area sits with the Crown Estate.’
