England 5-Mar-10 - Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker

After passing through Chipping Onga and turning left onto a winding narrow road I reached a car park and what appeared to be a rural bungalow. However this concrete imitation building housed some store rooms and a set of metals stairs down one level to a long sloping tunnel that lead to bottom floor of three story underground complex. This was the Kelvedon HatchSecret Nuclear Bunker that for 6 or 7 British pounds I could explore with the aid of self-guided audio tour.

So into the 'bungalow', no one about but a sign saying to pay at the end of the tour and that I must pick up an audio guide at the bottom of the stairs before entering the complex.
Down the stairs, get my guide and into the tunnel, but first take some photos, then spotted the sign no pictures unless  a  'licence to photograph' has been purchased. Being a mean sod I put my camera away so sorry no more pictures.  I found out a couple days later in my hurry to comply I had lost my spare camera battery and believe it was somewhere in this tunnel. So Kelvedon Hatch people the battery you found is for a Cannon IXUS 80 IS camera.

The lower level contains, air conditioning and power generation plants (all duplicated), fuel, water, and sewage storage. the upper levels contain civilian control room, scientist centre, BBC studio, military operation centre, dormitory, sick bay and canteen. Also in one corner I saw a great heap of early Geiger counters, all very large an obviously built before the advent of the transistor.

The complex built in 1952 using 40,000 tons of concrete, goes down to 100 feet below the Essex countryside, consists of three stories capable of housing up to 600 government personnel.

Well worth a visit and while in the area  so is the  church at Greensted. This is the oldest wooden church in the world.

Next time I will be visiting the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.