Wessex Archaeology [Alliance member] have discovered an Underground Monitoring Post (UGMP) in Arborfield dating back to the Cold War, while working on behalf of Balfour Beatty as part of Wokingham Borough Council’s Major Highways Project.
The site was first used as an above-ground observation post from 1936, and then as a UGMP from 1961 until closure in 1968. The structure, part of a national network of 1,563 strategically placed UGMPs, was built for the Royal Observer Corps (ROC) in January 1961, part of preparations for the reporting of radioactive fall-out, should a nuclear strike occur.
Wessex Archaeology’s Senior Research Manager, Dr Bob Clarke, an expert in the field of Cold War Archaeology said, “It’s an extraordinary find as many of the sites connected with the Cold War are still secret.”
Wokingham Borough Council is working closely with the Arborfield Local History Society on plans to install a memorial stone as a fitting tribute, dedicated to the brave members of the Arborfield Royal Observer Corps.
Further information about the Council Arborfield Cross Relief Road project can be found by visiting this link.