Cold War Bunker Man looks at large map on wall

Cold War Bunker

Lé Bunkèr d’la Fraide Dgèrre

A time capsule from the Cold War era

Hidden in a street in the heart of St Helier, this Jersey command centre was kept a secret from the public for years, as the world waited for news of nuclear war.

This bunker was a communications centre, passing and receiving messages to and from other bunkers around the UK and Europe. The threat of nuclear war with catastrophic loss of human life and destruction of the planet was a real danger in the years after the Second World War. To help prepare for such an event, a network of hundreds of bunkers was built throughout Britain and Europe. Messages would be sent and received from other similar bunkers in France, the UK and the other Channel Islands, giving details of radiation levels and survivors.

The Government of Jersey planned how to react in the event of a nuclear war. Essential personnel would be evacuated to this Second World War German communications bunker in Springfield, which had been transformed into a Cold War nuclear fallout bunker, equipped with blast-proof doors, emergency rations, protective clothing and radiation equipment.

From here, messages would be sent and received from other similar bunkers in France, the UK and the other Channel Islands giving details of radiation levels and survivors.

From gas masks and radiation suits to Geiger counters, maps and emergency procedures, the bunker has been frozen in time since it was abandoned when the threat had passed.  The bunker is a reminder of the impact the Cold War and the threat of a nuclear attack had on the lives of the Islanders and the rest of the world.

Jersey Heritage looks after this bunker and its contents as one of the 30 historic sites it maintains around the Island, ranging in date from the Ice Age to the Cold War and in materials from granite masonry to reinforced concrete.

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Signal Station

The Island’s only working signal station, displaying weather warnings and signals for special occasions.

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Dolmen de Faldouët

A free-to-access dolmen built around 6,000 years ago to align with the rising sun on the spring and autumn equinox.

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Mont Orgueil Castle

A medieval castle with links to the English Crown and amazing views across to France.

Walk

The Yard Walk

Explore the history of St Helier with this guided walk which starts and ends at The Yard at Jersey Museum & Art Gallery.

Walk

Town Walk

A short stroll through Town to discover some hidden gems of historic St Helier.

Listen

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Uncover the secrets of Jersey’s Cold War Bunker with some of the people who worked there in the 1980s. They describe its operational role and share their memories of the fateful night in 1986 when the Chernobyl accident threatened to turn a nuclear nightmare into reality.

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