'I Have a Nuclear War Bunker as My Secret Man Cave'

I joined the military when I was 16 years old and a few years later I served in the Intelligence Corps.

My role was to transport men and integration equipment around which consisted of me traveling constantly. I sailed around the Mediterranean Sea for three years, and during that time I started collecting sentimental objects from the military.

Over the years, I moved back to my hometown in Colchester, England, but I would also spend time traveling for work. Along the way, I had found and collected a few nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare suits, as well as decontamination equipment. I then began collecting old phones and other precious army equipment, too.

Buying a Cold War nuclear bunker

In 2003, when I was 44, I decided to buy a bunker. My father had left me £20,000 ($23,000) and I wanted to spend some of that money on finding something that suited me. After searching on eBay, I found a Cold War bunker that was located near Louth, England.

I was particularly drawn to it because it was constructed in 1959, the year that I was born.

I found out that the site was originally designed to allow three observers to survive a nuclear attack. During that time, they were expected to report on any nuclear bursts and the possibility of an attack. It was discontinued in 1990.

I had no straightforward explanation as to why I wanted the nuclear bunker, it just spoke to me; I knew that it was precious.

While bidding on the website, I included an extra zero by mistake, which made the seller think that I wanted to buy the bunker for £125,000 ($144,785), instead of £12,500 ($14,748).

Shortly after I realized my mistake, I emailed the seller and explained my situation; I only had £12,500. I said I could save a little bit more money, but that was all that I could afford. Surprisingly, he was happy with that price, so I bought it for £12,500.

As soon as I had bought the bunker, I drove for three hours from Yorkshire to see it for the first time. I was very happy. I thought that it was an unusual thing to own, but I loved it. It had many features that I liked, one of which was a 14ft shaft as an entrance.

Weekends at the nuclear bunker

In the following few weeks, I cut the grass and planted fruit trees on the land. I also placed my caravan next to the bunker, and I installed a water system and solar panels on the roof.

A telecom worker visited the bunker to check that the telephone line was still working. He then installed internet in the bunker, which allowed me to place a TV, a bed, and sofa inside.

To my surprise, he was very excited to access the bunker, to the point where he didn't wear a safety helmet whilst going down the shaft.

At the time, I owned a transport company in Yorkshire, which consisted of me driving school kids. So, when they would finish school on a Friday, I'd drive to Lincolnshire and spend the weekend at the nuclear bunker.

This became a tradition for me. I used the caravan to cook and shower, and the bunker to sleep, watch TV, and unwind. It was my man cave.

But I do remember that when I would call for a taxi to pick me up, it was pretty difficult to explain that I was staying in a nuclear bunker in the middle of a field. So, I had always asked the driver to wait by a roundabout for me to meet him because I was camping in a "field".

A few months after I had bought the bunker, I heard a knock on my caravan door. I was greeted by a man from the council, who asked me if I had permission to park my caravan on the land. I explained that I had bought it, so he left. I haven't heard from him since.

I spent many years visiting the bunker, but in 2011, I decided to move to the Philippines. I came back to the U.K. once a year to check on my house but never had the time to visit the nuclear bunker, as it was a three-hour drive from my home.

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Selling the nuclear bunker

That's why, in 2022, I decided to sell the bunker for £25,000 ($28,000). Although I didn't want to sell it, I knew that I wouldn't be able to visit often, so I had to be logical.

I visited it for the last time in October 2022. It was a bittersweet moment for me, but it was a peaceful goodbye.

The bunker is still perfect in case of a nuclear attack, so I do think that I can sell it for a reasonable price, given the possible risk of a war right now. Fortunately for me, I have a cellar under my home. I also have corned beef and baked beans stored in cans.

Over the years, telling people that I owned a nuclear bunker allowed me to have very interesting conversations with them, as they were always amused. I'm thankful for the time that I spent in it.

Mark Colledge bought a nuclear bunker on eBay in 2003. You can find out more information about it here.

All views expressed in this article are the author's own.

As told to Newsweek associate editor Carine Harb.