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BB2122
: Sound An Alarm
Wednesday 26th
May 2021
If
I had told you this story fifty years ago,
I would probably have had to kill you. It
concerns the location of a nuclear war bunker.
Now I can tell you without you needing
to worry. It is to be found at Haverbrack,
behind the quarry at Sandside, not far from
Milnthorpe.
The
best way to find it is to do what we did.
Park near the quarry and follow the
wooded path that almost reaches Hollins
Well before turning south to climb up the
hill.
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After
crossing a minor road, look back to admire
the Kent Estuary and the distant Lakeland
panorama. If you can see the latter,
of course. If we had been able to
see it clearly then we would probably have
been there and not here. One top was
clear however, just below the clouds. After
some discussion we concluded it was Red
Screes. The OS map agrees, peeping
out above Wansfell.
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Once
in the Haverbrack Wood we soon encountered
the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring
Organisation's bunker, a chilling reminder
of the state of the world in the 1960s.
In the event of nuclear war, the role
of the UKWMO was:
- Warning the public of any air attack
- Providing confirmation of nuclear strike.
- Warning the public of the approach of radioactive fall-out.
- Supplying the civilian and military authorities in the United Kingdom and neighbouring countries in
NATO with details of nuclear bursts and with a scientific assessment of the path and intensity of fall-out
- Provision of a
post-attack meteorlogical
service.
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Their
logo puts it rather more succinctly. Sound
An Alarm.
Often
the members of the warning team were local
secondary school science teachers. Would
they would have enough time to leave the
classroom and enter the bunker?
A
much pleasanter view was soon spotted, a
herd of deer ahead of us. They didn't
need to sound an alarm. Eyesight was
good enough for them.
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Before
long another strange structure was encountered.
Hazelslack Tower. A remarkably
sinister looking concrete structure. Maybe
it too had a part to play in the cold war.
Or perhaps it was just for holding
cold water.
A
few fields further on, near Leighton Beck
Bridge, TV Mike called for a stop for elevenses.
Now this is something that BOOTboys
don't normally do but this was a combined
mission with his other walking group although
members were in short supply on both sides.
Mick from them and Bryan, Stan and
I from BOOTboys.
TVM was in charge so we did as we
were told.
A
few more fields and coppices later we arrived
at Hawes Water (Lancashire version, not
the rather larger Cumbrian One).
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Yet
again, there was a strange structure to
be seen. Closer examination revealed
it to be a renovated 18th century summer
house with a view across the tarn. I
bet the ducks needed an alarm!
Returning
the woods and fields we stopped for lunch,
looking over to Arnside Tower.
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Soon
we were once more at the Hazelslack Tower,
this time turning right up the long track
that leads up to Fairy Steps. An alarm
must have sounded as there were no fairies
to be seen.
Just
before reaching the old village of Beetham
there was another derelict old building
with a danger sign. Just what this
had been an how alarmed we ought to be we
never discovered.
Beetham
itself looked in good order.
Crossing
the Dallam Deer Park we noticed the state
of the recently burned out deer shelter.
Presumably no fire alarm went off.
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A
short walk round the Bela estuary brought
us back to the car. A short drive
brought us to the Hare & Hounds at Levens.
I could hear the Manager calling the
bar staff. Sound an Alarm. The
Boys are here. Man the pumps!
Don,
Wednesday 26th May 2021
PS
Yes, I am aware that some would contend
that the real Hazleslack Tower is the ancient,
piel tower on the other side of the farm
yard but as we didn't actually go past it,
for today I'm sticking with the concrete
one.
Comitibus:
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Comitibus: TV
Mike,
Stan, Don, Mick, Bryan
Route:
Map: OS
1:50k
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