Plenty of interest in L’Ancresse bunkers
ISLANDERS had their first chance to see inside a Pak bunker, which could soon be an information site.
There were long queues of people waiting to get inside the structure at Pembroke, as Festung Guernsey held a open day at three sites on L’Ancresse Common.
The bunker, which lies to the west of the main Pembroke car park, had not been opened by the group before.
Festung chairman Paul Bourgaize said there had been a queue of people waiting to get in before it opened up at 2pm, and people had kept coming through the afternoon.
‘It’s been reasonably busy,’ he said.
At the moment the bunker, which is a 4.7cm Pak anti-tank bunker overlookin Pembroke beach, is essentially a shell.
But if a planning application is approved, it could be restored and used as an information site in a joint project between Festung, La Societe and Culture & Heritage.
Mr Bourgaize said Festung was keen to make some changes, such as with the door and the steps.
If planning permission is given, he was hopeful the interpretation area could be opened sometime next year.
One of the people looking around was Lee Falle, who had been in Guernsey from Jersey for the Island Games.
When her cancelled ferry meant she had more in the island, she decided to visit the bunkers.
‘It’s really interesting,’ she said. ‘I have never been inside one before, so I am glad I came.’
There was also the chance to look around a flak emplacement and a command post on the golf course, which the Festung members have been restoring.
Richard Morris was having a look around with his family and said it was amazing to see all the work Festung had done on the sites.
The language teacher said it was interesting to see the German phrases on the walls.
‘It’s part of Guernsey’s recent history,’ he said.
