Located within a quiet housing estate sits this historic sub-control nuclear bunker. Built in 1956 this once active site has sat abandoned and derelict since around 1991. It is believed that this bunker is currently owned by Cardiff County Council although it has been said by the Llandaff Society that they hope to preserve the location and one day open it into a museum.
The Llandaff Sub Control is located in Vaughan Avenue, Llandaff. The building is a single story surface brick blockhouse although it is now mostly hidden by trees, bushes and ivy.
The bunker was operational until the disbanding of the Civil Defence Corps in 1968. It remained in use manned by the Cardiff Corporation’s voluntary Civil Defence Organisation until 1984.
It was used as the Corporation’s County Standby Control until 1991 but it is believed it was never used with the exception of equipment storage.
Since it’s closure it has remained unused.
As we approached the location, we were shocked to discover this historic building hiding in plain sight. We knew that most of the local residents wouldn’t even know what the building was once used for or probably that it was even there!.
Greeted by an unlocked steel gate and a wide open wooden door, we didn’t have very high hopes as we walked into this former Llandaff sub-control bunker, how very wrong we were! It is however upsetting to know that given the lack of care and security at this site, it may only be a matter of time until the youths of the area realise the ease of entry.
After we walked through the steel gate, we were straight into the pitch black corridor that without any external light felt like it went on for miles whereas in reality it was less than 20 meters roughly. With a click of a switch, the lighting flickered on in the main corridor and we were off.
The Llandaff Sub Control Bunker had a very distinct smell, one of years worth of abandonment. Although some rooms were almost fully stripped out, others were stacked to the ceiling of paperwork and historic artefacts such as helmets and gas masks.
We were surprised to see that paperwork dating back to the late 1940’s was still present and readable. Sadness hit us as we thought that much of the items left behind here should have been preserved within the area’s local museums.
Complete with 10 rooms including a store room, kitchen, toilets, office and signals room, this bunker would have had representatives from several agencies including the military, emergency services, politicians and the Royal Mail.
We are unsure who currently owns this property although we anticipate that our tracing records will show it being owned by Cardiff County Council. If that’s the case, given their financial state, it may only be a matter of time until this site is sold to a private buyer, unless somebody claims the land themselves first!
With any luck, any future owner will preserve the Llandaff Sub-Control bunker and the contents it currently holds with the possibility of doing as others and open the site for public viewing.
Thanks for looking at more can be viewed on my website! (Dereliction.Photography)
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Great pics too.
