ROC Post Puriton

Cold War paranoia lives on in this concrete bunker, built in the 1960s when nuclear attack felt terrifyingly real. ROC Post Puriton stands as one of hundreds of Royal Observer Corps monitoring posts scattered across Britain, designed to track radioactive fallout and report back to government headquarters.

What you'll find is a small, squat concrete structure rising from the Somerset countryside like a military mushroom. The post consists of an underground monitoring room accessed by a vertical ladder - though whether it's currently accessible varies. Above ground, the distinctive concrete ventilation shaft and access hatch mark it out immediately to anyone who knows what they're looking at.

History enthusiasts and Cold War buffs will appreciate this slice of Britain's atomic age anxiety. It's a proper piece of social history, representing the time when ordinary civilians trained to measure radiation levels and watch for incoming Soviet bombers. Kids might find it fascinating for ten minutes, then get restless unless they're already into military history.

The post sits between Burnham-on-Sea and the M5, making it a reasonable detour if you're staying at one of the holiday parks along the coast like Haven Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Village or Wall Eden Farm. It's free to view from the outside, though don't expect guided tours or information boards. Best combined with a walk around the area rather than a destination in itself.