A father of two has spent £20,000 on creating a secret bunker bar in his back garden.
Jody Wainright (41), a Wakefield resident, West Yorkshire says that his family enjoys the chic underground bar as much as him. However, his wife doesn’t like the time he spends there watching football.
Jody and his family had just completed their home, so he was ready to make an underground bar with the remaining materials.
Jody says he chose an underground bar because it would save him space and was unique.
He stated, “I thought that a bunkerbar was something else than the usual bars people normally build in their garden.”
Jody Wainright, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, built a subterranean bar for watching football and movies using £20k of construction materials
Jody proudly displayed his signed Buzz Aldrin moon badge on one wall
This underground bar features memorabilia of James Bond, Batman, Star Wars and Batman.
Jody says that underground living has many benefits. It is cooler in summer and retains heat in winter, which reduces noise pollution from parties.
Jody estimates that the bunker is ten meters by five metres in size. If it were to be above ground, Jody would consider it intrusive.
You can even use the bathroom in the bar, which makes it completely unnecessary for you to leave.
“It’s something out of the ordinary and has the wow factor since it’s not something people see everyday.
“After initially laughing with the builder, I wanted an underground Bar. One week later they began digging the hole in ground.
“My favorite thing about this bar is the fact that nobody knows it exists. The shed is located above the bar, so it can be well hidden.
‘The structure was completed in around six weeks and we spent around £20k on the materials for the bunker.
Jody dug large holes in his backyard in 2017 and used Batman’s Batcave to inspire him
Jody estimates that approximately 700 tonnes worth of soil were extracted from the hole.
It began with the placement of concrete foundations in the holes.
Subterranean structures were given their walls by reinforced breezeblocks
Finally, the four walls were capped with a beam and block roof.
Jody has installed drainage channels beneath the floor to address the problem of water ingress.
Jody described fitting the stairs as “a pivotal moment” because it allowed him to finally access the space and bring down additional materials.
Jody finished the structure and covered it in soil to hide it.
Jody is surrounded by a reseeded lawn that covers the bunker’s top.
The biggest challenge was weatherproofing and keeping water out of the bunker’s top.
Jody enjoys watching movies on his widescreen TV and secret bunker bar is also used as a cinema.
Jody also uses the screen, which drops from the ceiling to watch sports.
He commented, “The bar was a Godsend during all the lockdowns. The space was beautiful and we were able enjoy it as a whole family.
“My children love the bar. There are always parties for them with their friends, or they watch films.
“My wife also enjoys it, but I don’t know if she likes the amount of time I spend there.
“When people come over, they’re blown away when they see the bunker. You don’t often get the chance to enter an underground bar.
The reception area for the underground bar is located in a shed above the entry to the bunker.
At the bar’s entrance, you can find football memorabilia including a Diego Maradona shirt.
Jody believes that the most rewarding part about the underground bar is seeing people’s faces when they descend the stairs. They are amazed at the depths below.
Movie nights are made possible by a screen that retracts from the ceiling.
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Jody claims that he loves the bar and built it using MDF 18mm sheets.
Jody stated that the “dark theme”, which he used with dark furniture and black surfaces is meant to draw comparisons to the Batcave, on which this idea was based.
You can project movies in the bunker because there’s no light.
Star Wars Memorabilia from film posters to Storm Trooper Helms are proudly displayed
The ‘There Bar’ consists of an area with booth seating in one corner and a bar at the other end that serves draft beer and cider. A few sofas are also available and there is a table at the center.
“It’s very glamourously decorated. I also have a couple of bits of memorabilia about sports.
It’s great that we have good friends to share the joy of having music playing louder with them because they can’t hear us underground.
“So that we can not upset our neighbours, which is always positive.”