Brandsby Royal Observer Corps monitoring post

Brandsby Royal Observer Corps monitoring post is a historic site in Crayke, a village in North Yorkshire, in England.

The structure was part of a network of 1,518 Royal Observer Corps monitoring posts, built to a standard design. The first were constructed in the late 1950s, and Brandsby was one of the last to be completed, in June 1964. It was part of a group of posts, with the headquarters at York Cold War Bunker. They were to be used in the event of a nuclear attack on the United Kingdom. Half the posts were closed in 1968, and the remainder, including Brandsby, in 1991.^[1]

The building is underground, appearing at ground level as a rectangular, grass-covered mound with a flat top, an entrance hatch, and an air vent. There are also metal pipes which were mountings for monitoring equipment. The main shaft is 4.6 metres deep and contains a ladder. At the bottom is a drainage sump and a pump, and two rooms: a small closet, with a chemical toilet; and the monitoring room, with a rubber floor, and polystyrene tiles on the walls and ceiling.^[1]

The structure was investigated by Subterranea Britannica in 2002, finding much of the equipment still intact.^[2] It was restored, and occasionally opened to the public.^[3] It was grade II listed in 2012, upon which the landowner withdrew permission for public access.^[2]

See also

• Listed buildings in Crayke