The UK is littered with many mysterious military relics. From castles and fortresses to gun towers and wartime bunkers, many of these old buildings are now either neglected or have been niftily transformed into other things. And occasionally one of them goes up for sale, giving anyone the chance to bag their very own piece of military history.
And now another British military relic is about to go up for auction: a former radar training station in the seaside town of Fleetwood in Lancashire.
The structure was built in 1961 as a centre to train ship navigators and maritime crew on the newest radar technology. Sitting on a promenade next to a Victorian-era lighthouse, the retro Grade-II-listed building is a single-storey, oval building made out of reinforced concrete with timber flooring.
While the building may be on the radar for many maritime enthusiasts, some renovation will be required to restore the relic to its former glory. Plus, future owners will need to apply to Wyre Council for planning permission for any changes to the structure.
Alan Vincent, county councillor said: ‘This little building forms a historic and attractive feature, and taken with the historic 1840 lighthouse, forms a vital testimony to Fleetwood’s distinguished naval past as well as showing the history of naval communications in our midst in Lancashire.
‘We hope that by placing this iconic building up for auction, an essential part of our region's wonderful marine history can be preserved for the future, along with Lancashire’s distinguished legacy of naval communications in times gone by.’
Here are some photos of the Fleetwood radar training centre.
The building is set to be sold at auction on January 30/31 2024, with a £50,000 guide price. You can find out more on the county council website here.
Restoring relics with Time Out
Britain has plenty of old military relics that have since been restored and transformed. We’ve covered plenty of them here at Time Out, and here are some of our favourites: an abandoned gun tower off the Kent coast, a reconstructed Roman gateway and Norwich Castle’s £15 million glow-up.
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