{"id":1409,"date":"2025-04-23T16:05:48","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T16:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/?p=1409"},"modified":"2025-04-27T08:06:03","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T08:06:03","slug":"the-super-rich-are-now-building-subterranean-homes-and-they-look-fit-for-the-apocalypse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/23\/the-super-rich-are-now-building-subterranean-homes-and-they-look-fit-for-the-apocalypse\/","title":{"rendered":"The super-rich are now building subterranean homes \u2014 and they look fit for the apocalypse"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Feeling apocalyptic looking at this sunken home? (Picture: Hawkes \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A little-known planning exemption is helping the super-rich to build subterranean homes in the middle of the countryside \u2013 and many of them look suitably apt for the apocalypse.<\/a><\/p>\n

The National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 84, to be exact) is an exemption clause that allows new homes to be built in rural areas, provided the design is of \u2018exceptional quality.\u2019<\/p>\n

Historically, it\u2019s mainly been used to build classic country estates \u2013 but it\u2019s increasingly being used by the super-affluent to construct ultra-modern, chic homes worth millions of pounds.<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a simple process, either. It typically costs at least \u00a3100,000, and the property has to \u2018significantly enhance its immediate setting and be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area.\u2019<\/p>\n

One of the most famous homes built under the exemption was the subterranean Bigbury Hollow in rural Kent, close to the Bigbury Camp Iron Age hillfort.<\/p>\n

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Bigbury Hollow in Kent even featured on Grand Designs (Picture: Hawkes \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tReady to start your homebuying journey?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Also known as the \u2018underground house,\u2019 the hollow is sunken into the ground, and pretty much submerged below the green fields that surround it.<\/p>\n

Outside, there are two terraced courtyards with a hot tub right in the centre \u2013 just in case you fancy a bit of TLC while the zombie apocalypse is taking place. Why not, right?<\/p>\n

Split into a northern and southern wing, the house is filled with natural light inside. <\/p>\n

The north hosts the sleeping quarters, while the south is used both for living and working, with a barrel-vaulted lounge and huge floor-to-ceiling windows.<\/p>\n

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It cost in the region of \u00a31,500,000 to build (Picture: Hawkes \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It reportedly cost in the region of \u00a31,500,000 to build, and the journey towards its completion was documented in Grand Designs in 2022. <\/p>\n

Kevin McCloud even described the property as \u2018like a concrete submarine which has breached the surface of a wildflower meadow and come up for air\u2019 \u2013 which is high praise indeed.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, many \u2018Para 84 homes\u2019 are springing up in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty \u2013 which usually have heavy restrictions imposed by planning departments.<\/p>\n

Nestled in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Headlands is one such property and is characterised by its leaf-shaped zinc roof and state-of-the-art interiors.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the Lake House, which takes up 40 acres of the High Weald National Landscape in East Sussex<\/a>. It neighbours a former fishing lake, as well as the derelict \u2018Cuckoo\u2019 train line.<\/p>\n

On a slightly less bougie scale, many ex-nuclear bunkers well-suited to the apocalypse have hit the market of late.<\/p>\n

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Many ‘Para 84s’ are built in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Picture: Hawkes \/ SWNS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2024, an ex-bunker in Cumbria<\/a> hit the market for a guide price of \u00a315,000 to \u00a320,000.<\/p>\n

Also known as a Royal Observer post, the bunker was one of many built in the 1950s across post-war Britain, designed to provide \u2018protective accommodation for three observers to survive a nuclear attack.\u2019<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just constructed for safety reasons, though: the tenants were expected to provide updates in the event of a nuclear attack and were provided with enough food and water to last them two weeks.<\/p>\n

A similar bunker<\/a> in Derbyshire went under the hammer for \u00a336,000. Complete with wacky, Renaissance-style interiors, the previous owners certainly got creative with the d\u00e9cor \u2013 which included wall-to-wall velvet curtains, fluffy rugs, and ornate gilded mirrors.<\/p>\n

There was even a log burner next to the bed, on hand to provide heat in case of World War 3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tWhat's your home like?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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This year Metro <\/strong>is partnering with the Ufurnish.com<\/a> Home Awards<\/a><\/strong> to bring readers the best in UK property.<\/p>\n

From jaw-dropping before-and-after renovations to effortlessly stylish spaces on a budget and rental DIY masterpieces, the awards recognise outstanding talent across 20 categories covering interiors, gardens, furniture innovation and home accessories.<\/p>\n

As part of our partnership, Metro\u2019s Property channel <\/a><\/strong>will be full of inspiring homes, fly-on-the-wall property pictures and tips and tricks from those in the know.<\/p>\n

Need some inspo (or some eye candy)? We\u2019ve rounded up nine winners<\/a><\/strong> from last year\u2019s awards to get those creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n

Head to <\/a>Ufurnish.com<\/a><\/strong> to enter now.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Feeling apocalyptic looking at this sunken home? (Picture: Hawkes \/ SWNS) A little-known planning exemption is helping the super-rich to build subterranean homes in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1409"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1416,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409\/revisions\/1416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}