![]() ![]() It was known simply as Southdown, with the postal address: c/o GPO High Wycombe. When the bunker was completed in 1940 the trees were put back into their exact position to disguise any change in the landscape from the air.įor the duration of the war, the bunker's precise location was a secret. When work started on the original WWII bunker in 1938, each tree that was dug up for the construction was marked and labelled with a number. The current bunker is the second to be built on that site. If they were switched off, the temperature underground would rise to 30C (86F) within hours. In fact, these sources provide so much heat that chillers are needed to cool the bunker down. Body heat and energy from the electrical equipment keep the rooms warm. There are 140,000 gallons of diesel stored in the complex, enough to keep the generators running for three weeks. If the National Grid is disabled in an attack, massive generators keep the bunker running. It has two electrical feeds from the National Grid, one acting as an immediate backup to the other in case of failure. The bunker is completely enclosed in a metal box, a type of Faraday Cage, to counter the huge pulse of electric energy that would be sent out from a nuclear explosion. It is reinforced by 4,000km of steel and 3,500 tons of concrete. There are showers and bedrooms for use only in wartime. The entire complex goes 180ft below the ground.Ī gym and canteen can be used by personnel on shift. In the event of a nuclear explosion, it can shut down to the outside world and remain self-sufficient for weeks. It was built to withstand a direct hit from a 1,000lb bomb. The bunker is a functional and complex building. Piping and electrical cables are exposed on the ceiling. The corridors are long and lit by strip-lighting. These can be closed to protect against nuclear, biological and chemical attack. To enter, you have to swipe your pass and go through turnstiles.Īfter passing through these, you must go through three huge blast doors. It is surrounded on three sides by thick forest.Īll mobile phones must be left in safe boxes. ![]() Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Father and girlfriend found guilty over death of six-year-old boy ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |