Source/Archive record SCH5448 - Former Western Command HQ and WWII Bunkers, Capital House, Queens Park Road, Chester: Historic Building Assessment

This report has been undertaken to assess the archaeological and historic significance of the former Western Command Headquarters and subterranean bunkers at Chester, to accompany any future planning proposals in respect of the buildings site. The current report is designed to give an indication to the planners and heritage agencies of the appropriateness of any future proposals for development of the site, from a heritage aspect. The main building on the site was originally built c.1936/7 to serve as the Headquarters (HQ) of the Western Command. The HQ appears to have been completed just before the on-set of WWII which necessitated the excavation of a series of underground rooms and tunnels able to serve as the HQ should the above ground building be destroyed by air attacks. The bunkers were first recorded by the Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England (RCHME) in 1997 as part of the ‘Ministry of Defence Disposals Project’. The records were created with the purpose of informing responsible heritage agencies at both local and national level with a view to the future preservation of surviving structures. The former HQ and the bunkers, although not afforded statutory protection, are nevertheless considered to be of national importance and the site also forms part of Handbridge Conservation Area. The site was sold by the MOD in 1997 to North West Securities, who in turn became Capital Bank, at which time the classical portico was added and the building renamed Capital House. In turn the building became part of the Lloyds Banking Group PLC, the present owners of the site. Since 1997 internal alterations were made to the HQ building and entrance to the bunkers from the building was blocked off. Consequently there had been no known access to the bunkers since 1997, until the recent site investigations in 2010. Permission for Castlering Archaeology to inspect the bunkers has been refused in view of their condition and current health and safety legislation. This report therefore draws heavily on the surveys undertaken in 2010. The bunkers were well-maintained until disposal of the site by the MOD. While the HQ building was maintained in good condition, the bunkers remained fossilised in their original plan. Lack of ventilation and maintenance in a period of just over twenty years has taken its toll on certain areas of the complex, as identified during the recent surveys. Clearly some areas of the bunkers are unstable and potentially dangerous Both the former Command HQ and the bunker complex are of significant cultural heritage interest in terms of military history and the construction techniques employed below ground. From a heritage aspect, the bunker complex is particularly significant in its size, complete survival in plan and the legibility of the remains. The extent of the underground network, the survival of the above ground HQ and its strategic position alongside the River Dee appears to be a rare example of the preparations that were made to counteract air attacks during WWII. The survival of the bunker site may be attributed to the continued maintenance of the site during the Cold War. Fortunately the HQ did not come under air attack. The historic importance of the bunkers then perhaps lies in what they could have been; in short a major command and communications centre enabling continuity of government in case of bombing during WWII or a nuclear event. Some change to the site is inevitable. Health and safety issues have to be addressed and modern legislation adhered to. A methodology for dealing efficiently with the bunker site is a complicated subject. However, government legislation in respect of the cultural heritage resource includes policies for the protection, enhancement and preservation of sites and their settings stating that ‘once lost heritage assets cannot be replaced’ and ‘the opportunity to preserve should be seen as a public benefit’. Following this guidance, the preservation of the Western Command HQ and the bunkers in their original form is advocated in order that they can continue to be understood and enjoyed by this and future generations. This report will be forwarded to Mike Morris, Historic Environment Manager, CWAC, for discussion in respect of an appropriate mitigation strategy for the site. Any further archaeological works will be determined by the Historic Environment Manager based on the results of this assessment. Current negotiations in respect of the site has allowed for an increase in knowledge arising from the opportunity to research, investigate, record and interpret the bunker site.