Reasons for Designation
The archaeological remains of the Cold War (1946-1989) are the physical
manifestation of the global divide between capitalism and communism that
shaped the history of the late 20th century. This was a period when the
two superpowers, and their allies, developed massive nuclear arsenals and
civil defence structures to counter the threat of nuclear war. The
construction of Royal Observer Corps (ROC) Underground Monitoring Posts
from the late 1950s reflected the changed reality of the Cold War brought
about by the deployment of new technologies including the hydrogen bomb,
which threatened massive destruction and radioactive contamination.
The early stages of the Cold War saw the ROC involved in the visual
detection and identification of aircraft, a role they had previously
carried out in World War II. The corps, in existence since 1925, had
established a network of observation posts and a national reporting system
which was reinstated in 1948 to meet the new threat of the Cold War. These
posts used existing World War II posts or a new structure introduced in
1952 known as an Orlit Post. This was a rectangular box formed from
precast concrete panels, either sited on the ground or elevated on
concrete legs or in a number of cases on pillboxes. ROC visual observation
posts were equipped with a Micklethwaite instrument which enabled the
altitude and direction of aircraft to be plotted. This, coupled with an
observer's visual identification of the make of an aircraft, meant
accurate information could be reported. By the late 1950s the development
of faster jet aircraft made the visual reporting of aircraft ineffective
and this role was finally abandoned in 1965 and above ground posts were
closed.
In the late 1950s the ROC took on the primary responsibility of monitoring
and reporting the location and impact of nuclear attack. Construction of
the system of Underground Monitoring Posts began in the late 1950s and was
largely complete by 1965. Although some new posts continued to be built
into the 1970s, a large number of the early underground posts were
decommissioned in 1968. The last posts were abandoned when the Royal
Observer Corps was stood down in 1991 following the end of the Cold War.
Individual posts were formed into clusters of three or four sites
providing co-ordinated raid reports via a master post to the group
headquarters. Posts were usually built at the sites of earlier ROC
observation posts and used the existing nationwide reporting system
already established by the ROC. The posts had three main tasks: to confirm
that a nuclear attack had taken place and its location; to estimate its
power; and to monitor the passage of radioactive fallout. The posts were
designed to operate in a post-nuclear attack environment, and to be self
sufficient for an operational life of up to 14 days. All are buried to
provide protection from blast and heat, and to reduce radiation
penetration.
The visible remains usually include an elongated mound with an entrance
hatch, ventilator and attachments for the monitoring devices protruding
from the surface. Internally the post was divided into two chambers.
One, at the bottom of the access shaft, contained a chemical toilet and
led into the second, a larger monitoring room in which were bunks, a desk,
batteries for power, and a hand operated ventilation system. The
monitoring equipment measured the intensity of an explosion using a simple
pressure device called a bomb power indicator, the location, altitude and
magnitude using an instrument called the ground zero indicator and the
level of radiation fall out using a Geiger counter.
Underground Monitoring Posts were the most numerous structures built in
the United Kingdom during the Cold War. In total around 1518 were built
(1026 in England). However, the number of active posts was nearly halved
in 1968 due to the diminished risk of attack and to reduce defence
expenditure.
Following a survey of Cold War monuments all of the posts have been
located, and those where they survive structurally intact and where
fittings remain are considered to be of national importance. Their
significance will be enhanced where they are associated with earlier, or
contemporary, visual reporting posts, reflecting the changing role of the
ROC during the Cold War.
Details
The monument includes a Royal Observer Corps(ROC) underground monitoring
post and adjacent World War II visual spotting post standing within a
fenced enclosure. It is located on the east coast of Yorkshire to the
south east of Skipsea.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
35490
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
