A secret bunker that would have been used by auxiliary army officers in the Second World War was recently discovered during the final stages of an extensive a £1.8 million course renovation project at the Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club, near Chepstow.
The “Free Press” had previously appealed for information about the lost bunker, after a Chepstow gallery owner, Josephine Jones, discovered her father was a member of a secretive army unit in the area called Abraham patrol.
Following a series of tip-offs from “Free Press” readers, local historians pin-pointed an Abraham patrol bunker near the 5th green on the Old course at the famous Welsh golf resort that has previously staged the Solheim Cup and numerous European Tour events.
Mrs. Jones, whose father Brian Kerruish would have used the bunker to launch guerrilla attacks on enemy forces had an invasion occurred, visited the site recently with Marriott St Pierre’s Golf course manager Stewart Wood.
She said, “It certainly was emotional coming here and imagining my father crawling around in this bunker. It looks like just a hole in the ground but if you look inside you can see the brick work that was done to build the bunker.”
Stewart Wood added, “We discovered a hole in the ground a few months ago as we started to refurbish the course and did not know where it came from. It’s fascinating to find out that it was a war bunker, I had a look inside, but all you can see are old golf balls.”
Set within 400 acres of rolling Welsh countryside, the Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club has undergone a major transformation over the past year and recently announced the completion number of projects designed to improve both the quality of its hotel and golf courses.
The resort’s Mathern and Old courses have both undergone a £1.8 million remodel specifically designed to create two courses which will play to a high standard all year round.
The golf development is just part of a £7 million investment at the Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club that includes a complete refurbishment of bedrooms, restaurants & bars, Leisure club and spa.
Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club www.stpierregolf.com