The Secret Nuclear Bunker Built For the British Government

'The Secret Nuclear Bunker Built For the British Government'

In the wake of the Second World War, Britain moved to cement itself as one of the world's main nuclear powers. The erection of a series of nuclear bunkers followed across the UK, tasked with protecting a fortunate few against any devastating nuclear attack.

Sarah Agha explores Britain's secret nuclear bunker at Kelvedon Hatch and how the Government would have used it, if Britain had suffered a nuclear attack during the Cold War.

Film directed by Mark Bowsher.

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[Brickhazard]

The government wouldn't get nowhere near it today. Would still be stuck on the M25 when the missiles hit.

[alexday]

I have been to the bunker a few times and it’s absolutely fascinating. Mike’s voice can be heard on the audio wands that give you a commentary of what you see as you move through the layers. Definitely stepping back in time when you see some of the technology that was installed back in the day. The diesel tanks held enough fuel to power the place for 3 months. Great video !!

[emty]

No one talks about the X-Y band, a telephone line buried deep underground that went around the country, including Police Stations, it was a one way telephone line to send out orders to the regions. No reply could be made, you just listened. It was tested around 11pm every Sunday.

[frugalitystartsathome]

“Threads” absolutely terrified the s***e out of me. It seems so odd now to look back and realise how accepting we were of the Doomsday Clock and the prospect of nuclear war erupting. I always said if the sirens sounded I’d just go out into the street and wait for it, because there’d be no point in living afterwards!

[MikeJones-ztkb]

I'm an engineer by profession, when I was an apprentice who worked on the building of Chilmark Bunker, an amazing place and massive learning curve, we had at the time sign the official secret act, with time that no longer applies 😀

[williamrobinson]

Sarah Agha does a wonderful job on this story, which really needs to be told for the next generation. I am glad she mentioned R. Briggs' book 'When The Wind Blows'.. This made a v great impression upon me, back in the day. Well done. Nice one Sarah and team. 🌟👍

[tonysutton]

The story about the local pointing the way to the secret bunker reminds me of my friend when he was in the TA having to deliver to our local 'secret' bunker. He too got lost and had to ask for the MOD 'storage facility' and the local said "Oh, it's easy to find the fallout bunker mate, you just follow the good roads and avoid the potholed ones and you get straight there". I remember exploring in the woods behind the place as a child in the late 1960s or early 1970s and being chased off by armed guards.

[steveclarke]

It's an interesting museum to visit, I haven't been for many years now. I used to go about 3 times a year for events held there and met Mike on many occasions, he was always a friendly bloke who knew he was custodian of a special location.

[captainhindsight]

Mr Parish is a very engaging and formative gentleman. Top man.

[Zodliness]

I've visited The secret nuclear bunker in Ongar Essex every year for years, not only is it a functional bunker, there's also an outdoor rope climb and archery for adults and kids and an operational hot and cold food canteen. On the bunker's grounds also resides a paintball range and go kart track too. Parts of the bunker's massive rooms can be hired out for private events. Mike's a great cheerful character, always happy to explain how things work in around the bunker to inquisitive minds, that's if you can catch him standing still long enough to ask him. If you haven't visited the Bunker, I'd highly recommend it, it's a good day out for the whole family.

[HowardKlein]

In 1976 at 18 years old i had to go to Kelvedon Hatch to fix a Pye base station in a small building at the bottom of that mast. I could tell there was something unusual and special about that place, but had no idea there was a nuclear bunker underneath. It felt like a cross between a telephone exchange and an RAF base. Something about the style and the infrastructure. It was obviously more than just a comms site.

[chriswhite]

I volunteered and ran tours down at my local RSG (9 - Drakelow) - it was formerly a WW2 shadow factory too so attached to a couple of miles of tunnels in addition to the government office stuff. it's turned into wine storage now which is a shame but a few volunteers are using a small portion of it to create a mini Kelvedon style museum.

[kltse]

A very interesting view of the idea that a nuclear war is survivable & the use of bunkers to govern what was thought would be left of the UK afterwards. I was a tiny cog in this, as I was a member of the Royal Oberserver Corps. In my post - one of the many small reporting bunkers - we weren't under any illusions of surviving. The "protective" kit we had was... a duffel coat. A Naval duffel coat, to be precise. One of them in my post was dated 1944. We had no NBC suits or respirators. In my post, we generally reckoned we wouldn't even survive 24 hours IF our bunker wasn't destroyed when the bombs detonated.

[LAGoodz]

This place is well worth a visit. Absolutely shocked when I walked into that house and what was behind the facade. The place is vast. Very chilling.

[thechronic]

It's always nice to know the people that caused nuclear war will be just fine

[wagnuts]

When I visited in 2019 the recorded tour said that there would be a 'ring of steel' around the bunker as the nuclear threat was being deployed, half to keep people out who could be seekng shelter, and half to keep those already inside in, in case they had second thoughts and wanted to face the annihalation with loved one's trapped on the outside. I recommend a visit.

[WrightCycloneR]

Visited Kelvedon a few months ago, very impressive and chilling. Speaking of which, it's bloody cold down there too, dress warm if you go!

[welshskies]

As someone who was trained to fight a warmed up Cold War (1970s-1980s) this film brought back some odd memories, particularly the boiled sweets. I remember 1983 was a particularly nervous year for the military and the general public seemed to be largely unaware The manikins of the reincarnated Maggie Thatcher in this museum would put me off visiting the place; I spent an afternoon with that particular woman back in the early 1980s and that was enough thanks. The official Cold War Museum at RAF Cosford (Telford, Shropshire) is a stunning place to visit, lots of social commentary as well as fascinating military hardware housed in an architectural masterpiece. Please remember that Mr Putin still has thousands of thermonuclear weapons and a disquieting number of those are pointed in our direction. The idea that the Cold War actually ended is perhaps moot, maybe it is just different and almost as worrying.

[TyroneDaviesWELSHMAN]

Wonderful documentary. Good to see Julie too from Atomic Hobo! Although, I can't get past the current steward of Kelvindon Hatch bearing a resemblance to Desmond Llewellyn.. Being shown around by Q from the Bond movies!

[JimWalsh-rldj]

Fantastic documenrary. Very well done. I was with the RAF in 1983 when we came down to the bone, a holocaust was averted by Stanislav Petrov. The USSR had a Computer prob that showed that the west had launched ICBMs, the Kremlin was almost about to launch when he stepped in and stopped it