The ROC bunker in Lockerley Hampshire is where I chose to put my "War Post" letterbox hybrid cache (an ammo can with stamp) which I placed in the summer above ground not far away from the bunker. At the time the bunker was so overgrown that you'd need a machete to get to it! The cache, given its remote location and sturdy nature has meant that maintenance visits are not required!
I returned to the cache a good couple of years later with a friend, however, when we found that a recent visitor had reported that they had been able to get to the bunker and open it!
Right, time for that maintenance visit!! As it was, no maintenance was required but my friend, The Happy Panda, had not done the cache before so for him it was a chance to log and for both of us it was a chance to explore. Even in the early spring the area was still very overgrown but at least you could access the hatch from behind. It was indeed not locked but the lid was very heavy and I wasn't sure if it was going to hold. Importantly we decided to take it in turns to go down in case anything bad should happen. It would be almost impossible to open the lid from the inside and there is no phone signal underground. If you visit a bunker like this with the intention of going down, bring a trusted friend, torches, batteries, phone and whistle and ensure someone stays above the ground at all times. We even had a spare ladder in the car just in case the one in the bunker chose today to rust off and crumble away. They are very old and worn!
Down below it was quite well equipped with its bunk beds and matresses, a frayed rug under a couple of inches of water, tins of pain, cans of food that were rusting away but still unopened (!), cleaning chemicals for the toilet and other odds and ends. Whilst all these ROC bunkers are the same shape and size, each one presents a new adventure in what you'll find down there!
Here's the link to the ROC site and a photos from a visit many years ago.
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