A NUCLEAR bunker built at the height of the ‘Cold War’ between the West and the Soviet Union could be turned into a West Somerset holiday home.

The concrete bunker sunk into the top of a hill in Kilton, Holford, was one of 1,500 built across the country at the time and was used for monitoring in case of an attack on the UK.

Now, owner Neil McCallum, of Kilton Farm East, Holford, wants to convert it to a small holiday retreat by exposing two sides of the bunker and extending it.

His agent Michael Shepherd, of Shattock Associates, said: “This bunker will be used as a retreat by the applicant but will also be available to rent by like-minded holidaymakers.”

The current use of the structure was described as a ‘place of refuge’.

Mr Shepherd said the site was near the West Somerset coast and on the edge of the Quantock Hills, making it popular location for the target audience of walkers and cyclists.

He said the site at about one-third of an acre was small and could only accommodate one car and was therefore not suitable for business premises but did suit holiday/leisure use, for which there was a demand.

The inspiration for the conversion was the famous Vista building, in Dungeness, on the South coast, a 1950s fishing hut converted by architect Simon Condor to a similar coastal retreat as planned for Holford.

It would have a small shower room and a bed/sitting room with two single fold-down beds similar to those in a cross-Channel ferry cabin, while a small extension would house a kitchen and dining area.

Mr Shepherd expected the property would mainly be used in the summer, and electricity would be provided by solar panels with a battery back-up facility.

Water for cooking and drinking would need to be delivered to the site but water for washing would be supplied by a rainwater harvest tank.