The Real Atomfall: Britain's Most Radioactive Place

This documentary tells the story of Britain's very own Chernobyl accident... Windscale, better known today as Sellafield, one of the most dangerous and radioactive places on Earth.

65 years after the Windscale nuclear disaster, just how dangerous is it today, and can it ever be truly safe? We visit to find out.

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Digitiser makes full documentaries delving into the UK's impact on the world - from the historical and bizarre to the mysterious and weird, from the light-hearted or creepy to more serious topics, we approach it all with a sense of humour. We don't just tell you about the story - we travel there, taking you inside forgotten places and important locations which had a big impact.

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Britain's Nuclear Power Secrets, Inside Sellafield, Our Reactor Is On Fire, Windscale: The British Chernobyl, The Story of Britain's Chernobyl, Britain's Biggest Nuclear Disaster, The Nuclear Laundry, Dark Tourism, Cumbria, Lake District, Three Mile Island, Fukishima, Cover Up, Exclusion Zone, Exploring, The Most Radioactive Places On Earth, Worst Nuclear Accidents In History, What's It Like Today, auditing, audit, Windscale Disaster, Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, Nuclear Disaster, Nuclear Meltdown

[trenchardjj]

This one was genuinely quite unnerving at times, nicely done team.
Still not as terrifying as Beanus with a knife though.

[richardlyth]

I wouldn't normally watch a whole documentary about Sellafield, but this was absolutely fascinating and I learned a lot.

[mrgideon]

I don’t know what’s more unsettling - the events themselves, that I’m pushing 43 and this video is literally the first I’d heard of any of these events, or that I’m fully accepting information I acquired in a Digi video as fact.

Seriously, great video guys.

[Psy]

This was a genuinely unnerving and very sobering look at Windscale. I knew about it, but not all the scandals and coverups related. I think this is one of my favourite Digi videos.

Also, love the music you capped it of with over the credits. Perfect tonal whiplash.

[faenethlorhalien]

Excellent and important documentary work there, Biffo and Sanja. Entertaining and educational.

[wulliest]

Tom Tuohy (RIP) was the deputy manager who took a leading role in putting out the fire at the windscale pile. All that direct exposure looking down at the charge face must have done something for him - he lived for 91 years!

[benwhite]

One of the darker Digitiser videos but a necessary and sobering reminder of the reality that Government really doesn't care about peoples safety over profits or not being embarrassed. Great work.

[elbrikc]

Hi, I'm a UK physics graduate currently working on a masters. I don't specialise in nuclear work but I guess I've probably studied more on the topic than most. On a first watch I'm very impressed on how well-researched this is and how nothing that is stated is scientifically incorrect or misleading as far as I can tell. Taking the highest peak recorded here of 0.40 (assuming its microsievers per hour), it would give a radiation dose around 1.3 times the UK's background dose assuming that peak was sustained. Gov.uk says our background dose is actually slightly above the global average, citing the presence of radon in our building materials. The iodine and polonium isotopes released have a half-life of 8 and 138 days respectively which is probably why Biffo and Sanja didn't see any massive radiation spikes however, the plant was probably using uranium-235 as the fission material which has a half-life of about 700 million years. So any uranium-235 released would be just as dangerous today as it was in 1957. Would like to stress I haven't researched this in massive depth (it's 3am lol) and these are very quick estimates. Either way, Biffo is correct that this could have rendered most of northern England uninhabitable if the workers hadn't risked themselves in the way they did. Big up to Digi <33

[jezzermeii]

Really professional and proper, quality documentary feel - yet still some funny moments! Well done, really enjoying the new style of videos! :)

[NailBombed]

Informative, engaging stuff - also sobering. Had heard about Sellafield, but never the extent of what happened. Great doc, people.

[hotmultimedia]

Would have never expected a serious sort-of documentary from Digitiser :D

[trekadam]

I'm just gonna say it: This is the best video you've ever done. Well done.

[jaethemanchild]

This was very interesting. I am surprised Sanja didn’t have a list of Cellar and Field facts though!

[JandLadventures]

Please keep the Cumbria content coming, Biffo! Glad you enjoyed your visit and hope to see you about sometime!

[richardbale]

Thanks you for this informative information i uad no idea about Sellafield.

[jimboy]

Brilliant vid! I am very interested in these sites, I was fortunate enough to go on a guided tour of Sizewell B when it was being constructed, I was only 10 but have been fascinated ever since. Cheers.

[mrpositronia]

Thanks for the video. It's considerably more serious than others!

[thekelvingreen]

What a good video! Thoughtful and contemplative, and a little haunting too, but with a nice bit of Digi silliness -- Diginess? -- too.

[joegallagherr]

This was incredible and weirdly existential I certainly never expected to learn this much from digitiser lmao I was in Cumbria last year dragging my ex to castles and jumping in ponds - maybe I'll grow a beak.

[darrenhorton]

This whole run of videos over the last month or so have been great. They've been so funny and I've actually learnt things from some of them. This was the first almost serious one and a great reminder of the tragedy that could've been.