A Cold War relic perched on a rapidly crumbling cliff has finally succumbed to the relentless forces of nature, after a nuclear bunker collapsed into the sea.
The brick-built structure near Tunstall, East Yorkshire – believed to be almost 70 years old – was originally designed as a monitoring post in the event of a nuclear war, but had been teetering on the brink as the coastline beneath it steadily disappeared.
Amateur historian, Davey Robinson, who has been filming the bunker’s final days, said he believed it fell at some point during the night as erosion took its toll.
The dramatic collapse comes amid warnings that the area has some of the fastest eroding coastline in the UK, according to the Environment Agency.
The clifftop bunker was one of a number of nuclear monitoring posts around the UK, according to the historical research group Subterranea Brittannica.
Known as the Tunstall ROC (Royal Observer Corps) Post, it is believed to have been built in 1959 and decommissioned in the early 1990s, after the end of the Cold War.
It includes two small underground chambers intended for short-term occupancy, mainly by volunteers.
Robinson and his partner, Tracy Charlton, said videos of the bunker on their YouTube channel had attracted attention from around the world as viewers followed its slow demise.
The brick-built structure near Tunstall, East Yorkshire – believed to be almost 70 years old – was originally designed as a monitoring post in the event of a nuclear war, but had been teetering on the brink as the coastline beneath it steadily disappeared
The dramatic collapse comes amid warnings that the area has some of the fastest eroding coastline in the UK, according to the Environment Agency
People view a decommissioned cold war nuclear observation post has fallen on to the beach after clinging perilously to the cliff face for the last month on January 24, 2026 in Tunstall
‘The story of it just captured people’s hearts,’ Robinson said.
‘So many people have been invested in it – it’s not just bricks and mortar, it’s something else.’
Latest footage shows the bunker now sitting at the foot of the cliff, where it appears to be largely intact despite the dramatic fall.
Robinson said that even though he knew the collapse was inevitable, ‘it was really shocking to see her just tumble down like that’.
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‘It was really quite emotional and sad,’ he added.
Describing the structure as a stark reminder of the wider problem, Robinson said it was a ‘symbol of erosion in this area’, adding that they would continue to document what happened going forward.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council had previously urged people to avoid the area, both at the clifftop and on the beach, and warned the public to ‘always maintain a safe distance to the base of eroding cliffs due to the risks associated’.
The Holderness coastline is eroding at an average annual rate of about 6.5ft, according to the Environment Agency.
Around three miles of land is thought to have been lost since Roman times – including 23 villages – according to Internet Geography, underscoring the scale of the threat facing the coast.
Before the tumble, a spokesperson from the council said: ‘Recognising the risk posed by the structure, the council would ask that people avoid the area, both at the cliff top and at the beach as it descends the cliff.
‘The council would also remind visitors and residents to always maintain a safe distance to the base of eroding cliffs, due to the risks associated.
The nuclear-era lookout bunker near Tunstall on the East Yorkshire coast, pictured just days from slipping into the sea, on January 15
‘East Riding council does not have any statutory responsibilities connected to the structure. The structure sits on an area of privately owned land.
‘This location lies within Policy Unit E (Rolston to Waxholme) of the Shoreline Management Plan.
‘The approach for this location remains at “no active intervention”.
‘Therefore, the coast is undefended in this area, which allows coastal processes to continue.
‘The Ministry of Defence originally requisitioned the land to build the structure. But following its closure, the land was returned to the landowner, which included any military infrastructure upon it.
‘The responsibility for this infrastructure therefore belongs to the landowner, and the management responsibility for the rural beach in this area sits with the Crown Estate.’
