As bombings intensified during the Second World War the Government embarked on a programme of constructing deep level air raid shelters beneath the streets of London, usually near underground stations. This one has some 210 steps before you reach the bomb-proof tunnels where up to 8,000 people would have sheltered. Due to the challenges of building this deep, the shelters were not completed until after the Blitz meaning they saw little use however one was used by General Eisenhower who went on to become the 34th President of the United States.
Post-war, in 1956, a fire in one of the shelters which was managed by the military, made the Government realise that they weren’t suitable for use by large amounts of people and were eventually sold off; some are now derelict, some are used for data storage and one is even used as a hydroponic farm! At this shelter, which we’re not disclosing the location of, original World War 2 bunkbeds still remain where they were used for storing a range of data from tapes to paperwork. Two parallel tunnels are each around 1,200 feet long.
We have obscured the location on the map above to protect this historic site. To see our full photo albums, please check out our Facebook Page: Joes photos & Liam photos
