If you fancy a nice summer’s day trip to the picturesque town of Cuckfield to see a relic of nuclear war, then some open days have been announced.
The Cuckfield Royal Observer Corps post is a small underground bunker, one of over 1,500 that were built to monitor the fallout from a nuclear war. Closed down in the 1990s as no longer needed, most are derelict or flooded, but some have been restored, such as the one in Cuckfield.
It’s been restored to the state it was when it closed down, with newspaper articles still talking about Soviet aggression, tins of preserved food for the survivors and lots of equipment to monitor the nuclear attack and fallout.
For a full visit review – go here.
The Cuckfield ROC open days for 2020 are:
- 6th June 11am-3pm
- 25th July 11am-3pm
- 8th August – 11am-4pm
- 9th August 10am-1pm
For latest updates, check their Facebook page.
No need to book, just turn up. Due to the size of the bunker you might need to wait a bit to climb down inside, but there are displays above ground to keep you occupied.
Entry is free, donations appreciated.
To get there, I found it easiest to take the train to Haywards Heath, then it’s a relatively pleasant 45-minute walk to Cuckfield, which is even more enjoyable via Blunts Wood.
Took a look at this last summer and it is worth the effort.