The Underground Bunker
In Aberdeenshire, an inconspicuous house sits on top of a secret underground bunker - with a lovely aga cooker inside!
One of our meticulously refurbished traditional models looks right at home inside the bunker. The 'Military Grey' shade of enamel blends into the Cold War style of the surroundings. Originally built in the 1950's as part of the RAF's secret intelligence program, the bunker spans a massive 10,000 sq ft of space and includes a library, kitchen, plant room, operations room, living room and a few bedrooms!
I made the trip to the bunker (I couldn't help myself!), to assist with the build, and ferrying lumps of cast iron down the windy tunnel and through the multiple blast doors. We were lucky enough to have an interesting tour around the bunker by the owner, who is currently restoring the bunker to it's original state, whilst incorporating some unique artistic projects.
Nature's Symphony
Once all of the cast iron had been taken underground, the build could start.
After a thorough consultation, the 'always on' 13amp aga cooker was identified as the winner for this project. The ambient air temperature is rather chilly in the bunker, at 9c, because of the thick concrete walls and the depth underground. The owner wanted a traditional piece of history to occupy the space in the kitchen, and something to give the space a welcoming warmth. Since install, the room temperature is a cosy 20c!
George the cat was a lovely companion during the build and he took the opportunity for a nice cat nap inside the hotcupboard (before it was installed of course!). Steve and I completed the build with only a few setbacks - which is fairly normal when working with these much older models of aga cooker. Each one is unique and has a whole history behind it. This model would have been originally run by anthracite (coal), then converted to oil by a customer in the Scottish Highlands. We completely stripped it down, refurbished it, replaced some odd and broken parts then it was ready for it's new home!
Some Further Reading:
