During World War II, it was quite common to build underground bunkers that were disguised by the landscape above them. This was particularly common in Britain as they attempted to gather information and monitor the skies without being detected by the Nazis flying overhead.
One such bunker sits in Cornwall in Great Britain. Built in 1942, this bunker was manned 24 hours a day and was crucial to the war efforts against the Nazis. It didn’t look like much at the time, much like this abandoned building that once housed Nazis.
But when I saw what the bunker looks like now, 73 years later, I had to know more!
After sitting empty and abandoned for decades, a woman named Elizabeth Strutton purchased the World War II bunker, which was in an incredible state of disarray and disrepair, similar to this shelter in the Netherlands. After spending five years to convert the underground space, Elizabeth has created one of the most stunning and beautiful homes ever. When I saw the before and after pictures, I actually couldn’t believe it was the same bunker!
Scroll through below to see this unbelievable piece of history and the amazing way that Elizabeth was able to turn it into a surprisingly gorgeous home.
Built in 1942, this underground World War II bunker was used by the British to gather information about the enemy. Specifically, they had the important task of protecting a nearby cable tower that was integral to the war efforts.
While the bunker was built to be bomb-proof, its occupants had to be very careful as the Nazis were specifically targeting bunkers of this kind.
Once the war ended, the shelter sat vacant and became uninhabitable from decades of neglect — that is, until Elizabeth Strutton spotted the bunker for sale in a real estate office’s window.
Elizabeth purchased the bunker for the equivalent of a little over $200,000. She then spent the next five years (and $150,000 more) to renovate the inside so that it could be a livable home.
While she spruced up the entrance, the outside of the bunker looks much like it did in its original state. The most drastic changes happened on the inside.
This unit used to serve as an air circulator to provide proper ventilation. After all these decades, this room was soon to become a bedroom in Elizabeth’s home.
Elizabeth described to the Daily Mail why she wanted to live in this bunker. “It is a magical fortress. You are at the end of the world and living history. You don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for when you take this kind of thing on, but I know I live in the best place in the world now.”
The interior transformation is almost unbelievable. The stunning work makes this former bunker a fully functioning home.
The house features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large living area. While there are no windows, sun tubes are built through the roof to help provide some natural light.
Elizabeth told the Daily Mail, “The building process was very difficult. It hasn’t been done before so the builders weren’t used to this kind of space. It took much longer and much more money than expected.”
However, despite the incredible transformation, the structure of the interior remains largely as it was during World War II. Elizabeth has had visits from several veterans who wanted to take a look around.
“Amazingly, the family of a veteran came down the other week. They said their mum now has dementia but told them she worked here during the war. They didn’t believe her but once they were in, it was exactly as she had described it. Their mother was very happy about it apparently.”
The importance of this site and its place in history are not lost on Elizabeth or the visitors who come to see her amazingly unique home.
“Living in here, you do really appreciate the way people fought – you feel a sort of connection with what they were doing. It is something I don’t want to take for granted and one of the best things about the place.”
There truly may be no other home on Earth quite like this. Elizabeth said, “Sometimes you do have to move on, but really I could live here forever. It is beautiful and special.”
