World War 2 bunker and staple of Winston Churchill’s ‘chain home’ radar given stunning holiday-home makeover

The former World War II bunker is still fitted out with the same concrete walls, exposed pipes, and lighting

A World War II bunker, part of Winston Churchill’s chain home’ radar stations, has been given a holiday-home makeover. The former Royal Air Force station has kept much of its original features and even provides lodgers with stunning views of the countryside.

Commissioned in early 1941, the bunker served as part of a series of coastal early warning stations stretching from Cornwall to Norfolk. It was finally decommissioned in 1956.

The Grade II listed building sits in the middle of a dairy farm just two fields away from the sea at Ringstead Bay on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. The renovation has kept key features with the original concrete walls still intact.

The property features two bedrooms, an open-plan living area and off-road parking for up to four cars. The bunker’s architect, Jonathan Plant, was careful to retain as many of its original features as possible, including its original concrete walls, exposed pipes, and lighting, to commemorate its historical significance.

World War II bunker, part of Winston Churchill’s chain home’ radar stations, has been given a holiday-home makeover

He said: “It became clear very quickly, that if we retain as much of the structure and ‘feel’ of the space, we could easily tell the story of the bunker’s incredible place in history in defending the UK during World War II.

“It is imperative that when you stay in the bunker, you are aware that you are staying in a bunker and that you are experiencing history.”