Quote:
Originally Posted by Legbreaker
Always good to have the opinion of somebody who actually knows! :P
Welcome!
Do you know the reasons behind the closure of RAF Bishopscourt?
Do you have any more info on the Northern Irelands Government Bunker - for example how long it was expected to be in use, what the supply situation was for it, etc?
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Bishopscourt was the site of 'Ulster Radar' until the mid-70's, any aircraft entering UK airspace from the Atlantic would have been monitored from there, this was all closed and moved to Prestwick in Scotland. Bishopscourt was then used primarily by the Army for a while, the runways where kept in good condition but had not been in proper use since the 50's. Around 1980 a new surface bunker was built to house a mobile radar, very soon after the need for so many radar stations was simply not required, Bishopscourt was far to big a site for what little RAF staff lived there and the Radar station was out of date after only 8 years. It closed in 1989 and sold off around 1991, most of the original RAF housing is now used as civilian housing. Its is still an impressive place today, its is fairly run down but you can still tell it was a massive military base in its day.
The bunker in Ballymena is in Woodside Ind Estate just to the north of Ballymena, it was built in 1989 and would have housed all the government officials needed to run the country after a nuclear exchange. Everything would have been run from here, Police, Fire Service, Hospitals, ministry for welfare and food, etc.
Approx 250 people would have lived there for around 1 month, supplies inside where basic rations, the bunker has its own pumping station so fresh water was not a problem. Power was supplied by two massive generators. It was never used in any capacity, some equipment was stored there but nothing substantial, I have visited it a few times now to obtain some items for my museum and found it an amazing place. Its on 2 levels and about the size of a football pitch on each level.
It was mothballed in 1990 and is not used in any way now, the NI Government tried to sell it a few years ago and got no offers, I think the rates to keep it going are about £250,000 a year and the a/c system has to be kept running to keep the place at a constant temperature so the electric bill would not be cheap!
There is not many pictures of it floating about but here is one to wet your appetites....
My museums website for anyone interested...
www.nibunker.co.uk