A CHARITY promoting DIY funerals has found a fitting new home near Winchester — in a former nuclear bunker 6ft under ground.

Boasting concrete walls 2.5 metres deep and a steel door some six inches thick, the property near Twyford is now the official home of The Natural Death Centre.

The charity, which promotes natural burials, started moving into the bunker on the edge of Twyford village last year, but has only just finished refurbishing it.

It was founded in 1991 to increase awareness of alternative funerals without the need for priests or funeral directors. It was one of the first to promote the growing network of woodland burial sites.

Rosie Inman-Cook, manager of The Natural Death Centre, described working in the bunker as “awesome”.

She said: “We decided to move here because the rent was much cheaper than what we were paying in London.

We pay a token rent, as we are a charity.

“It feels very safe working here and it’s very quiet. It’s got incredible views of the downs.”

With just three staff, the charity’s new headquarters has a main office, kitchen, build room, IT communications room, general office, generator room, electric switch room, 180 sq ft meeting room, a storage area of nearly 4,800 sq ft, and 18 parking spaces.

As previously reported in the Hampshire Chronicle, the bunker sold at auction for around £250,000 last January.

It is understood a local couple bought the property and are now renting it out to the charity.

The bunker was originally a redundant covered reservoir from the Victorian era.

It was later intended to be used a as a survival pod during the Cold War to withstand a nuclear blast that would wipe out civilisation.

Thirty utilities workers — all hand-picked — would have food, clear air and water for up to two months.

After that the intention, under the Government’s nuclear protection plan, was to get essential services up and running across an incinerated south.

Since decommissioning 11 years ago, the underground facility, off Hazeley Road, has played a frontline role in a war of a different kind — the one being waged in cyberspace.

Under lease arrangements, until recently it was a nerve centre for Internet security companies needing to safeguard data.

For more information about the Natural Death Centre — which is currently looking for volunteers to work at the bunker — visit www.naturaldeath.org.uk.