16 July 2006

In Praise of Essex Part 2 - the Kelvedon Bunker


Heading out from Brentwood towards Greensted (of the church fame see my earlier post in praise of Essex) and Ongar you will see, when you reach Kelvedon Hatch, road signs towards a Secret Nuclear Bunker. This is no joke sign: Kelvedon Hatch was where the government would attempt to run London in the event of a nuclear war.

The Kelvedon Hatch bunker was originally built in 1952 by the Air Ministry for use as a control centre for an upgraded air defence radar system called ROTOR. When ROTOR became obsolete in the 1960s it was transferred to the (now defunct) UKWMO (United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation) – the key function of this organization was to war the population of an impending nuclear attack. In the late 1960's it was finally converted into a Regional Government Headquarters and it stayed that way until 1994 when the bunker was decommissioned. It was then purchased by the owners of the surrounding land who have opened it as a tourist attraction cum conference centre (!). While not unique (other bunkers have been opened to the public in Cheshire and Scotland) it is a fascinating and somewhat disturbing place to visit.



The bunker, needless to say is rather unobtrusive. It is quite a distance up track and surrounded by farmland. When you enter the bunker you first go through a Guard house, disguised as an ordinary cottage (except that the cottage is made out of concrete and finished off with bricks).After walking through the cottage you walk down a couple steps and you then come to the 120 yard (approx 103m) yard tunnel which takes you to the bunker itself.

The Ground floor contains a huge array of plant and equipment necessary to keep the bunker safe and habitable. It also was the location of the plotting room where nuclear strikes would be recorded, a major communications exchange and a BBC broadcasting centre.


layout of the bunker

The next level was known as the Government level where several hundred officials would, as directed by a Commissioner (a politician of cabinet minister rank), try to administer a post Armageddon London. This floor still contains much of the original equipment. There are also showings of Cold War information films, including the risible “Protect and Survive”

The final level consists of sleeping accommodation for up to six hundred staff (hot bedding) and the other necessities of life. The bunker would have held sufficient stores for up to three months but it is hard to imagine that conditions would have been particularly comfortable by the end of that period (but compared to the situation above ground I am sure they would have seemed like paradise).

The reality is that had there ever been an impending nuclear war very few of the designated staff would have wanted to staff the bunker. Most would have chosen to die with their families.

UK Cold War website

Kelvedon Secret Bunker website

Subterranea Britannica Cold War Research section




11 comments:

Bob said...

Those were grim days. It is good to have a reminder.

jams o donnell said...

grim indeed.. and we are by no means out of the woods. I doubt russian misiles will be raining down nuclear death upon us but some idiot is going to use them sometime

Agnes said...

I'd like to see the bathroom after three months....were they prepared for that?

Frank Partisan said...

In the US, the bunkers are scarier, because are leaders, have Biblical visions.

elasticwaistbandlady said...

I heard an interesting program on talk radio, jams. I listen to a show called Coast to Coast, and its an open forum for all kinds of oddities as well as serious issues. A highly credible government agent was discussing the transferring of major U.S. governmental functions to Colorado from Washington. Why? Because of the expansive underground bunkers built there.

When the end comes, the good people will die and our crappy leaders who've largely placed us in precarious situations will live on indefinitely. How very comforting. I like seeing the English version. :)

jams o donnell said...

Hmm Red, I think the stench would be rather gross after three months.. on the other heand the cabin fever would probably have sent a lot of them homicidal...

Maybe not biblical here ren but our leaders do not inspire an awful lot of confidence.. The idea of post nuclear London under the control of say John "two jags/jabs/shags" Prescott with the power of life and death over the survivors.. not a pretty picture.

To Colorado in peacetime elasticwaistbandlady? That sounds ominous to say the least.. True though the idea of our leaders surviving while they commit us to hell on earth disgusts. Oh if you ever get the chance try and see a film called Threads made in the 80s.. That is one really distrubing vision of nuclear war

elasticwaistbandlady said...

Meh, I looked for a link and couldn't locate one. I did find some other interesting things though of other underground locations designated for federal agencies and such. I bet the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be preserved, because we all know from horror flicks that evil doesn't die easily.

elasticwaistbandlady said...

Did I mention that I like redwine's thought process? I automatically think of the potential bathroom scenario in all situations.

Maybe we should start stockpiling toilet paper reserves now. The necessities first.

jams o donnell said...

Not a bad idea, but better get the anti stink spary laid in too!

jams o donnell said...

Hmm what's the number of the IRS? 1-800 666 EVIL?

elasticwaistbandlady said...

Well, I don't know their main number, jams, but their customer service line is 1-800-EAT-SHIT.