Latest news with #LondonTunnels
South China Morning Post
26-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Secret wartime tunnels below London to become a spy museum, memorial and bar
There is a part of London that few people have seen: a place where the city prepared for the Blitz, James Bond's creator got inspiration, and secret Cold War messages passed between Washington and Moscow. It is a network of tunnels 100 feet (30 metres) below the streets that was secret for decades – but could be the city's next big tourist destination. Local authorities have approved plans to fill the 90,000 sq ft (8,360 square metre) site with an intelligence museum, an interactive World War II memorial and one of the world's deepest underground bars. 'It's an amazing space, an amazing city,' says Angus Murray, chief executive of The London Tunnels, as underground trains rattle overhead. 'And I think it tells a wonderful story.' A view of one of the tunnels, which lies beneath the London Underground's Circle Line, in Holborn. Photo: AP The tunnels lie directly below London Underground's Central Line in the city's Holborn area. Work on them began in secret in 1940, when Britain feared invasion by Nazi Germany. They were designed to shelter up to 8,000 people from bombs in a pair of parallel tunnels 16.5 feet (5 metres) wide and 1,300 feet long.
The Sun
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
World's deepest bar to open in the UK as part of huge new £120million attraction
A NEW underground attraction is coming to London and it will be home to the world's deepest bar. Set to open by 2028, The London Tunnels will be a mile-long series of tunnels that "have been kept secret for 70 years", according to The London Tunnels website. 7 7 7 The new tourist attraction is set to cost £120million and will reopen tunnels built between 1940 and 1942 by the Government to protect the public from the Blitz during World War II. Formerly known as The Kingsway Exchange Tunnels, plans include creating a variety of historical heritage experiences and a cultural, multi-sensory, digital experience. In addition to the new exhibits and experiences that immerse visitors in the decades gone by, the destination is due to open the world's deepest bar. The bar is set to be in the deepest part of the tunnels - 30metres below the streets of London - and will have a unique nightlife experience. The bar will aim to attract both tourists and history enthusiasts keen to see one of the most historically significant sites in the capital. In total, the tunnels span 90,000 square foot and stretch deeper than most of the city's tube stations. The tunnels themselves are large - with the height in parts tall enough to fit a double-decker bus - allowing the attraction to restore them as well as create an expansive visitor experience. The cultural exhibition space is expected to have a World War II memorial dedicated to the 40,000 people who lost their lives during the bombings and an immersive experience that combines history and entertainment, according to Tour and Travel World. The British Military Intelligence Museum is also expected to relocate into the tunnels to showcase over 300 years of British Military intelligence including rare artefacts and cases of espionage. By 1942 the construction of the tunnels was complete but the Blitz were no longer occurring and so the tunnels were never used for shelter. World's most luxurious apocalypse-proof bunkers But two years later, in 1944, the tunnels housed spy headquarters when James Bond author Ian Fleming worked in them for naval intelligence. The tunnels are believed to have inspired Q Branch - where 007 goes to get his specialist equipment. They were also home to a special bunker that would protect Government officials in the case of a nuclear attack. Currently the tunnels boast a maze of old generators, pipes, rusty bolts, bundles of cables and switches and levers. 7 7 7 There are also the remains of a staff bar and canteen doe the 200 workers who used the tunnels in the 1950s and 1960s when it was a telephone exchange. The project aims to revitalise the historic spot and hopes that up to three million people will pay over £30 each year to visit the new attraction. The tunnels are located between London's West End and the Square Mile - stretching between Fulwood Place and Furnival Street, deep below Chancery Lane tube station. The team behind the project includes one of the UK's leading architectural firms - WilkonsonEyre - who were also responsible for the major restoration of London's Battersea Power Station. In the mean time, a beautiful new water attraction will also soon open in Europe with lagoons, 40C pools and waterfalls. Plus, London's newest tourist town is in a 'forgotten' district and is a £1.3bn attraction with hotels, theatre and rooftop bar. 7
Irish Independent
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Secret network of spy tunnels to open as London's newest tourist attraction
The capital is set to gain a new visitor attraction hidden in plain sight 40 metres below High Holborn, as the tunnels will now become open to the public after being kept in relative secrecy for nearly 70 years under the Official Secrets Act. The London Tunnels, the company that looks after this underground labyrinth, has recently announced a collaboration with the Museum of Military Intelligence (MMI) on the project, two years after the plans were first announced. The below street-level network is known as the Kinsway Exchange Tunnels and was constructed during the Blitz as a deep-level air raid shelter under the London Underground. The mile-long series of tunnels was shortly after occupied by the Special Operations Executive, a clandestine organisation established in July 1940 under the orders of then Prime Minister Winston Churchill, during the later stages of World War II. It was during this time that Bond author Ian Fleming was working as a liaison officer within the wartime administration, and it is thought that the tunnels inspired the research and development Q Branch in his novels. After a few other uses for the network, the tunnels were used for a secure hotline that connected the White House to the Kremlin during the Cold War, before it was taken over by BT. Now, the tunnels will have a new life as a major tourist attraction that hopes to welcome up to three million visitors per year. The tunnels will have a permanent exhibition showcasing the history of military intelligence and its use of the tunnel complex, including a special exhibition centred around the Special Operations Executive. The displays will spotlight original artefacts, equipment, weapons, documents and images through a 'modern high-tech experience' that promises to bring to life the history and techniques used by military intelligence. The exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain and D-Day, the espionage operations of the Cold War and the Falklands War. It will also display more recent military operations, including peace-keeping missions and the response to terrorism threats that have occurred within the 21st century. Visitors will also be able to delve into how the British military works today and what operations they carry out. Angus Murray, CEO of The London Tunnels, said: 'We are delighted to become the home of the public exhibition of the Museum of Military Intelligence. This new location will provide convenient central London access to an important and unique collection which has until now been largely hidden. 'The tunnels, built and designed to protect Londoners during the Blitz, are the ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable, and untold, stories of the men and women who played a vital role in protecting Britain then, and the role of the armed services protecting Britain today.' In its 2023 consultation documents, London Tunnels said the new museum would increase local spending up to £80m (€95m) per year, create 40 onsite jobs and offer free trips for local schools. The London Tunnels said work is scheduled to begin in 2027, with completion in 2028.
The Independent
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Secret tunnels that inspired James Bond to open for the first time
A secret network of World War II tunnels in London, which inspired the James Bond books, is set to open as a spy museum. The tunnels, located 40 metres below High Holborn, were originally built as air raid shelters during the Blitz and later used by the Special Operations Executive. The London Tunnels company is collaborating with the Museum of Military Intelligence (MMI) to create a permanent exhibition showcasing the history of military intelligence, including artefacts, equipment, and stories from various conflicts. The exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain, D-Day, Cold War espionage, the Falklands War, and more recent military operations. Work on the museum is scheduled to begin in 2027, with completion expected in 2028, and is projected to attract up to three million visitors per year, boosting local spending and creating jobs.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Secret network of spy tunnels to open as London's newest tourist attraction
A secret underground network of London World War II tunnels that inspired the James Bond books is set to turn into a brand-new spy museum, with new details now revealed. The capital is set to gain a new visitor attraction hidden in plain sight 40 metres below High Holborn, as the tunnels will now become open to the public after being kept in relative secrecy for nearly 70 years under the Official Secrets Act. The London Tunnels, the company that looks after this underground labyrinth, has recently announced a collaboration with the Museum of Military Intelligence (MMI) on the project, two years after the plans were first announced. The below street-level network is known as the Kinsway Exchange Tunnels and was constructed during the Blitz as a deep-level air raid shelter under the London Underground. The mile-long series of tunnels was shortly after occupied by the Special Operations Executive, a clandestine organisation established in July 1940 under the orders of then Prime Minister Winston Churchill, during the later stages of World War II. It was during this time that Bond author Ian Fleming was working as a liaison officer within the wartime administration, and it is thought that the tunnels inspired the research and development Q Branch in his novels. After a few other uses for the network, the tunnels were used for a secure hotline that connected the White House to the Kremlin during the Cold War, before it was taken over by BT. Now, the tunnels will have a new life as a major tourist attraction that hopes to welcome up to three million visitors per year. The tunnels will have a permanent exhibition showcasing the history of military intelligence and its use of the tunnel complex, including a special exhibition centred around the Special Operations Executive. The displays will spotlight original artefacts, equipment, weapons, documents and images through a 'modern high-tech experience' that promises to bring to life the history and techniques used by military intelligence. The exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain and D-Day, the espionage operations of the Cold War and the Falklands War. It will also display more recent military operations, including peace-keeping missions and the response to terrorism threats that have occurred within the 21st century. Visitors will also be able to delve into how the British military works today and what operations they carry out. Angus Murray, CEO of The London Tunnels, said: 'We are delighted to become the home of the public exhibition of the Museum of Military Intelligence. This new location will provide convenient central London access to an important and unique collection which has until now been largely hidden. 'The tunnels, built and designed to protect Londoners during the Blitz, are the ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable, and untold, stories of the men and women who played a vital role in protecting Britain then, and the role of the armed services protecting Britain today.' In its 2023 consultation documents, London Tunnels said the new museum would increase local spending up to £80m per year, create 40 onsite jobs and offer free trips for local schools. The London Tunnels said work is scheduled to begin in 2027, with completion in 2028.
