Visitors to Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, near Verwood, will have the chance to discover a hidden piece of Second World War history in September, which remained a closely guarded secret for over 30 years.
As part of Dorset Architectural Heritage Week, a bunker that controlled the operation of a bombing decoy will be open to the public for the first time on Sunday 15 and Wednesday 18 September from 10am-2pm.
The bunker, which is not usually accessible to the public, was used during WWII to power and control lights to mimic the appearance of a real airfield at night to draw enemy bombers away from nearby RAF airfields at Hurn and Ibsley. The restoration and research of this special site was carried out by a group of dedicated volunteers including members of 3LX Community Fund and Verwood Town Council.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Councillor for St Leonards and St Ives said, “I am very pleased that the decoy bunker has been carefully restored. The open days offer visitors a rare opportunity to take a closer look at the bunker and learn more about its history.”
During the open days volunteers will be on hand to explain more about how the bunker was used, and the scale and importance of decoy and deception techniques.
The bunker is a 2km walk from the Visitor Centre and car park; parking charges apply. There is also limited free parking at Potterne Park, Verwood, 800m from the bunker.
The location of the flare path has also been identified and a specially designed telescope will be sited on one of the park’s waymarked walking trails and will help visitors to visualise how the site would have looked at night when the decoy was in operation.
For more information on the bunker and future open days please visit www.moors-valley.co.uk/decoy-bunker.
