We are located in what was formerly RAF Treleaver. The building is a huge relic of the Cold War, disused since the 1950s. We have converted and occupy a part of the building.

After the Second World War, as the Iron Curtain descended across Europe, a chain of nuclear bunkers was built around the coast of Britain. They were a response to the growing nuclear threat from the Soviet Union and were intended to act as ‘Ground Control Interception’ early warning radar stations, and as centres of regional government and administration in the event of nuclear war. Our building, an imposing concrete lump hidden away in the downs above the pretty Cornish fishing village of Coverack, looked out to the Atlantic approaches – waiting to give the dreaded ‘four minute warning’ of an impending Soviet attack.

Building of our Bunker was completed in about 1954, but it was operational for only a short while. 

The bunkers quickly became redundant due to technological advances, and RAF Treleaver was decommissioned in the late 1950s.

The Bunker lay empty and abandoned for 50 years - used only for a bit of agricultural storage and (allegedly) as an ideal location for local youth to play loud music and misbehave - until we moved in during 2007.

The building was built to withstand a near miss by a nuclear bomb – most of the bunker is underground; the walls, floors and ceilings are all metre-thick super-reinforced concrete. It was built with one blast door and no windows. That has its disadvantages; it isn’t the sort of building you can easily warm up or cool down; and if you want to knock a hole in the wall to put through a pipe, or fit a door or window, forget it!

But it does have a big advantage for us. The Lizard is one of the most temperate places in Britain. It doesn’t tend to get very cold here in winter, or hot in summer. And the massive concrete walls of the Bunker flatten out any variations in temperature even more. So the Bunker gives us a space not unlike an enormous cave – perfect for long-term storage of barrels of vinegar.

We are a small manufacturing business - so we aren't always available on site. If you want to visit, please contact us in advance to confirm. Please do not wander about the Bunker or surrounding areas - it is private property, and parts of the site are dangerous.