It's not often that Country Life covers a property whose architecture makes the average garden shed look beautiful, but that is the case with the sale of Hope Cove Bunker.
This bunker was built by the government in 1952 as part of the ROTOR programme, the elaborate radar defence system installed to detect possible nuclear attacks as the Cold War gripped the globe.
Modern technology has long since rendered the bunker obsolete, however, and it was auctioned off on Wednesday, fetching £433,000, just above the guide price of £400,000.
The reasons for that bargain price tag should be obvious from even a cursory look at the images on this page. Unless the buyer wants to keep it as a curiosity, a huge amount will have to be spent — and as there are no permissions yet in place, such plans would always be something of a gamble.
Hope Cove Bunker from the air. Credit: Clive Emson via OnTheMarketThe bunker — whose name was technically changed to Crown Buildings ahead of the sale — is in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, the South Devon AONB. Salcombe, unarguably one of the prettiest seaside towns in Britain, is just three miles away.
For your £400,000-ish budget in Salcombe, you'd normally be able to find a pretty little cottage such as this, or (if you want sea views and a central location) perhaps a small flat such as this one.
Both have their charms, but for anyone after more than three bedrooms and a small patch of lawn then Hope Cove Bunker fitted the bill.
There are an astonishing 56 rooms in the two-storey building, including corridors so long you could use them for ten-pin bowling, and all on a four-acre site in the middle of open countryside.
Don't expect any mod cons, or even any windows. But there is a giant radio mast, so presumably you'd get amazing TV reception, and there's an air strip — the details from auctioneer Clive Emson doesn't explain what your rights are over that, but there is at least the potential to fly down for the weekend, rather than braving the traffic on the A303. And if you want to find out more, this chap on YouTube paid a visit a couple of years ago:
The auction closes later today; we'll report back with an update with the final hammer price... and we'll watch with interest whatever happens next at this fascinating property.
Hope Cove Bunker was up for auction with Clive Emson — find more properties in the South Devon AONB.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in CornwallAt Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North DownsA contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record highPlus, how first-time buyers prop up the mortgage market, why you need to move north if you want to live by yourself, and house-price growth slows
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riotUnlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in NorfolkWillow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's historyWith 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
-
17 delightful homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeOur round-up of some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a wonderful Cotswolds home and a happily affordable cottage in the West Country.
-
'This is the most money you'll spend on anything ever': The things that really matter when buying your first home in LondonIt’s easy to dream of what the ideal first-home in London might be, but when the cost of living in the capital is this expensive, being near a Gail's isn't as important as you think it is.
