Brandsby Royal Observer Corps monitoring post

{{Short description|Building in Crayke, North Yorkshire, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}

Brandsby Royal Observer Corps monitoring post is a historic site in Crayke, a village in North Yorkshire, in England.

The structure was part of a network of 1,518 Royal Observer Corps monitoring posts, built to a standard design. The first were constructed in the late 1950s, and Brandsby was one of the last to be completed, in June 1964. It was part of a group of posts, with the headquarters at York Cold War Bunker. They were to be used in the event of a nuclear attack on the United Kingdom. Half the posts were closed in 1968, and the remainder, including Brandsby, in 1991.{{NHLE |desc=Brandsby Royal Observer Corps monitoring post |num=1407168 |access-date=3 July 2024}}

The building is underground, appearing at ground level as a rectangular, grass-covered mound with a flat top, an entrance hatch, and an air vent. There are also metal pipes which were mountings for monitoring equipment. The main shaft is 4.6 metres deep and contains a ladder. At the bottom is a drainage sump and a pump, and two rooms: a small closet, with a chemical toilet; and the monitoring room, with a rubber floor, and polystyrene tiles on the walls and ceiling.

The structure was investigated by Subterranea Britannica in 2002, finding much of the equipment still intact.{{cite web |title=Brandsby ROC post |url=https://www.subbrit.org.uk/sites/brandsby-roc-post/ |website=Subterranea Britannica |access-date=3 July 2024}} It was restored, and occasionally opened to the public.{{cite news |last1=Jenkinson |first1=David |title=Life under ground at Brandsby |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/york/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8342000/8342408.stm |access-date=3 July 2024 |work=BBC News |date=4 November 2009}} It was grade II listed in 2012, upon which the landowner withdrew permission for public access.