Hope Cove was a World War II radar station. In the early 1950s it was revamped as part of the RAF’s ROTOR air defence scheme. It was one of five stations equipped with a type R6 (semi-sunk) bunker. The others were Hack Green, Langtoft, St. Twynells and Treleaver.
In the late 1950s the site was taken over by the Home Office and the R6 bunker was turned into a Regional Seat of Government (RSG). Later it became in turn a Sub-Regional Control (SRC), Sub-Regional Headquarters (SRHQ) and Regional Government Headquarters (RGHQ) under various Home Office schemes.
Reports that the bunker was totally refurbished in the 1970s and that it is almost identical to Hack Green are untrue. Apart from relatively minor improvements to electrical wiring and communications, most of the facilities date back to the Rotor era. The building still has its original air-conditioning plant, and most of the teak false floors are still in place.
This site is also known as Bolt Head and, as an RSG, was codenamed Gull Perch.
(Written by Richard Lamont/Andrew Smith on 14 April 2000.)
According to some research it was recently purchased by "Two farmers" last year.
I sent an email to the owners of the airstrip that the building is on hoping they will let us have a look around but no response sadly.
The Visit: We parked at the National Trust car park just down the road, and walked up via the path to the farm. All the gates and fences were easy to pass through, only required hopping one crushed down wire fence. The large heavy gate at the entrance with intimidating keep out signs was open. It looked very derelict. Sadly it seems the building itself is locked up tight. All the entrances either being locked or bricked up. Though we did have a look around the outside and found some huge fans at the back. Still a pretty neat spot to look around. There is a big garbage pile along the road full of old sinks, about 50 toilets, ovens, etc. I assume came from inside the shelter. I tried a hatch but it ended up being a drainage pit filled with gigantic spiders that lead nowhere. I was not brave enough to try any more hatches. lol
In the late 1950s the site was taken over by the Home Office and the R6 bunker was turned into a Regional Seat of Government (RSG). Later it became in turn a Sub-Regional Control (SRC), Sub-Regional Headquarters (SRHQ) and Regional Government Headquarters (RGHQ) under various Home Office schemes.
Reports that the bunker was totally refurbished in the 1970s and that it is almost identical to Hack Green are untrue. Apart from relatively minor improvements to electrical wiring and communications, most of the facilities date back to the Rotor era. The building still has its original air-conditioning plant, and most of the teak false floors are still in place.
This site is also known as Bolt Head and, as an RSG, was codenamed Gull Perch.
(Written by Richard Lamont/Andrew Smith on 14 April 2000.)
According to some research it was recently purchased by "Two farmers" last year.
I sent an email to the owners of the airstrip that the building is on hoping they will let us have a look around but no response sadly.
The Visit: We parked at the National Trust car park just down the road, and walked up via the path to the farm. All the gates and fences were easy to pass through, only required hopping one crushed down wire fence. The large heavy gate at the entrance with intimidating keep out signs was open. It looked very derelict. Sadly it seems the building itself is locked up tight. All the entrances either being locked or bricked up. Though we did have a look around the outside and found some huge fans at the back. Still a pretty neat spot to look around. There is a big garbage pile along the road full of old sinks, about 50 toilets, ovens, etc. I assume came from inside the shelter. I tried a hatch but it ended up being a drainage pit filled with gigantic spiders that lead nowhere. I was not brave enough to try any more hatches. lol
