Fort's secret cold war bunker opens to visitors

A secret nuclear bunker hidden beneath a Victorian fort in on the Dorset coast is to open its doors to the public.

The "local authority emergency centre" was built below the ramparts of Nothe Fort in Weymouth in 1983.

Its purpose was to protect a small number council employees so they could co-ordinate disaster relief in the event of a nuclear strike.

The bunker is being opened and guided talks are being offered on Saturday as part of Cold War Network Heritage Week.

Lucy Watkins of Nothe Fort said: "The government at the time, in the Thatcher-Reagan-era, issued regulations for all local authorities to plan for the possibility of a nuclear strike.

"Lots of buildings were converted to enable members of staff from the local authority to help build infrastructure in the event of a nuclear strike.

"Members of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council would have been inside this nuclear bunker.

"About 30 people could have operated in there. We have a comms room, an operations room, a control room, a recreational area, and an area for people to sleep in."

The compound was part of a network of national and local government facilities that were ready for action in the event of a nuclear attack.

Ms Watkins said: "They would have all been feeding into each other, receiving and transmitting information on the situation outside, the radiation levels, the amount of people who might have survived, the casualties.

"We've got all sorts of amazing equipment that shows how people would have been measuring those things.

"Most nuclear bunkers, you can't get into because they are so deep underground but we have a lift so our bunker is accessible."

Visitors will be able to explore the bunker where there will be talks by experts at intervals throughout the day.

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