Nuclear bunker up for grabs

Nuclear bunker up for grabs

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In Northern Ireland, surrounded by lush green countryside, you can snap up a former nuclear bunker that was a state secret until 2007.

On the market at £575,000, the facility sleeps 236 and includes double blast doors and decontamination chambers.

. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

From a commercial kitchen to power generators and oil storage, the facilities were designed to keep residents holed up for as long as 30 days.

The 3.7-acre site is east of the town of Ballymena, the heartland of firebrand Protestant cleric turned peacemaker Ian Paisley until his death in 2014.

Fixtures and fittings are included in the price of the two-storey bunker, which opened in 1990.

(Editing by Brian McGee)

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Slideshow

A for-sale sign is posted outside the bunker’s entrance.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A for-sale sign is posted outside the bunker’s entrance.

A corridor is seen in the former bunker built by the British government during the Cold War.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A corridor is seen in the former bunker built by the British government during the Cold War.

A recreation room is seen in the bunker.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A recreation room is seen in the bunker.

A clock and speaker hang in the bunker’s conference room.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A clock and speaker hang in the bunker’s conference room.

A blast door leads to the exterior of the bunker.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A blast door leads to the exterior of the bunker.

The main generator room is part of the facilities.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

The main generator room is part of the facilities.

A man uses a torch to illuminate the bunker’s temperature gauge.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A man uses a torch to illuminate the bunker’s temperature gauge.

The generator indicators light up.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

The generator indicators light up.

Fresh air filters are another part of the bunker’s facilities.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Fresh air filters are another part of the bunker’s facilities.

A decontamination tap is pictured.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A decontamination tap is pictured.

A dormitory houses bunk beds.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A dormitory houses bunk beds.

The medical room contains a bed frame.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

The medical room contains a bed frame.

Long-life tins of food are displayed in the kitchens.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Long-life tins of food are displayed in the kitchens.

Tea making facilities are seen in the kitchens.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Tea making facilities are seen in the kitchens.

A message chute is attached to a wall.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A message chute is attached to a wall.

This office is part of the bunker.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

This office is part of the bunker.

The back-up telephone is seen.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

The back-up telephone is seen.

A BBC broadcast room is pictured.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A BBC broadcast room is pictured.

A BBC broadcast room is seen.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A BBC broadcast room is seen.

The blueprint maps of the bunker are on display.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

The blueprint maps of the bunker are on display.

This corridor includes an artificial plant.
. Ballymena, United Kingdom. Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

This corridor includes an artificial plant.