MrTrevithick Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Not sure what to say, very unusual to be stuck for words. Anyway, I’m Mark. I live in Cornwall and after a recent life changing event I decided to follow the dream (well mine at least) and create an off grid property and workshop to live my life and run my small business (I’m an electrical/mechanical maintenance engineer), to be honest I was toying with the idea of buying a canal boat and running away slowly but I’m a bit big for boats and I’m a hoarder of old machinery and electrical equipment. So this tied in with a good friend of mine sending me a text along the lines of “do you want to buy a bunker”, I’ve been involved with bunkers for almost 40 years so I know a thing or two about them and I went to have a look. Looking at it, meeting the farmer who wanted rid of it was another life changing event and so here I sit in a concrete room with my feet up drinking tea and writing this intro. It’s been quite a journey and there is much further to go so I thought rather than keep making it up as I go along I’d be better joining this forum. All I can say is the off grid bit works well (I don’t slum it) and I have no idea what the weather is doing outside. Cheers 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Welcome, well that’s different? Don’t think we have one of those on here. Would love to know the nitty gritty details and pics if you can. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 8, 2020 Author Share Posted December 8, 2020 4 minutes ago, joe90 said: Welcome, well that’s different? Don’t think we have one of those on here. Would love to know the nitty gritty details and pics if you can. I suppose it is, I will say the place is very well built 18” thick walls and roof and 5’ thick floor of reinforced concrete made with blue elvin aggregate so drilling holes is fun. It’s built into the side of a slight slope and filled over to a depth of about 3 metres. I have no damp issues (before anyone asks) and it is nice and warm with minimal heat input, I have supplemented the original gas seal doors with custom made full glazed double doors on the entrance tunnels. It’s about the size of a 3 bed bungalow but I have it set up as 2 bed with kitchen diner (only me and the dog). I’m slowly restoring as many of the original systems as possible and subtly building in suitable systems to make it comfortable living (all very much work in progress). Externally I have a Nissen hut which is my workshop and some rather nice original features like paths and anchor points for masts etc. I am a bit of a tech idiot so have no idea how to post pictures on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Awesome sounding project MrT, will be following with interest. Like Joe, would love to see some pictures of the bunker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Hi and welcome. Sounds like an interesting project. Pictures. We like pictures. please? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 1 hour ago, MrTrevithick said: so have no idea how to post pictures on here. let us know what your using, phone, tablet, laptop and someone will help with the pics thing, nice to have you onboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Evening Mr Trevithick. Redruth are you, your relative was born near Tesco Extra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 6 hours ago, joe90 said: let us know what your using, phone, tablet, laptop and someone will help with the pics thing, nice to have you onboard. Mostly on this iPad thingy, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 6 hours ago, SteamyTea said: Evening Mr Trevithick. Redruth are you, your relative was born near Tesco Extra Tis just a nick name, I used to drive the puffing devil amongst other things and being a “creative engineer” it sort of stuck. He was a fascinating bloke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 1 hour ago, MrTrevithick said: Mostly on this iPad thingy, thank you. that’s lucky that’s what I use, take photo, then when posting there is a “paper clip” thingy underneath with “drag files here to attach” and click on “choose files” and pick you photo and it will attach it to your post.looking forward to your “digs”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 9 hours ago, MrTrevithick said: so have no idea how to post pictures on here. Not too difficult - should be a link in the box below where you are typing with the paper clip next to it. Click on that and you’ll get some options Select from your photos on the iPad and then click Add at the top of the photos (or use the camera) and then the photos appear below the editing box To add an image you’ve uploaded, put the cursor where you want it in the text and click the “+” button, if you’ve uploaded the wrong one just hit the bin button and try again Simple as that ..! And welcome aboard..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simtronic Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Welcome aboard and the off grid bunker sounds like a great project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Welcome. Eh, you don't scythe grass in fields with your shirt off , muscles rippling, waiting for some pretty maid to walk past casting shy glances at your sweating pecks are ya? No? Shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Welcome. Perhaps study some of the reasonable number of undergrounds reservoir conversions that are around now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 How are you going to deal with sewage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 5 hours ago, ToughButterCup said: Welcome. Eh, you don't scythe grass in fields with your shirt off , muscles rippling, waiting for some pretty maid to walk past casting shy glances at your sweating pecks are ya? No? Shame. Only on a Thursday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 5 hours ago, Ferdinand said: Welcome. Perhaps study some of the reasonable number of undergrounds reservoir conversions that are around now. Good idea, I will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 4 hours ago, SteamyTea said: How are you going to deal with sewage? The original sewers are still fine but the tank system was getting a bit tired (it collapsed when the farmer dumped a few hundred tons of rubble on it) so I’ve installed a bacterial bubbling sewage treatment thing and used the original soak away which was for the separate latrine block for the workers outside. Still got the original toilet. The bunker and latrine originally had 3 soakaways so decided not to fix something that has worked fine since 1942. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 4 minutes ago, MrTrevithick said: latrine block Your bog looks like the ones at my school. Hopefully @DamonHD HD will be along to explain what happens when the raised cistern falls on your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 Thanks for the advice on how to post pictures, do starter for ten let’s see what happens. I await the flak, but obviously not a problem with the property type. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 1 minute ago, SteamyTea said: Your bog looks like the ones at my school. Hopefully @DamonHD HD will be along to explain what happens when the raised cistern falls on your head. I bloody hope not, I refixed that after having it powder coated and I rebuilt the mechanism. Bomb proof and it’ll flush anything. I do need to fit the wooden seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 7 hours ago, Simtronic said: Welcome aboard and the off grid bunker sounds like a great project Some people think I’m bonkers but the way the world is going they are starting to change their minds, or that’s what they say to my face ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpd Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 What a bloody fantastic project ! all power to you man, I am very envious!!!! I live on an island on the west coast of Scotland at the end of a non pubic road to absolutely nowhere with the nearest neighbour about a mile away, feels remote at the best of times. Not off grid as I have electric supply and phone line (which I dug in Myself by hand for a Mile....) but beyond that I might as well be of grid - no shops - no pub - nothing ! I intend to work towards less reliance on the grid as the years go by. The pic is of the view from the top of my garden. Best of luck with the renovations and look forward to seeing how you tackle things. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrevithick Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 22 minutes ago, Cpd said: What a bloody fantastic project ! all power to you man, I am very envious!!!! I live on an island on the west coast of Scotland at the end of a non pubic road to absolutely nowhere with the nearest neighbour about a mile away, feels remote at the best of times. Not off grid as I have electric supply and phone line (which I dug in Myself by hand for a Mile....) but beyond that I might as well be of grid - no shops - no pub - nothing ! I intend to work towards less reliance on the grid as the years go by. The pic is of the view from the top of my garden. Best of luck with the renovations and look forward to seeing how you tackle things. Very nice. Sounds as we are in similar situations. Off grid is a lot easier these days (I lived off grid in a house in 1993 and that was very generator based) and the technology is getting cheaper. I have, what an estate agent would call, “distant sea views” which in Cornwall can vanish most days. The view from my garden. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 I take it that's Goonhilly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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