London’s secret spy HQ is to be made public as a tourist attraction to rival the best of them.
Tired of all the regular tourist attractions? Had one too many rides on the London Eye? Loathe the idea of posing in front of Big Ben one more time? Well, you might be in luck because London’s getting a new tourist attraction called The London Tunnels and it looks set to be a goodun.
Believe it or not, right beneath your feet (should you be standing in Holborn) there are a series of secret underground tunnels. They were used as the base of operations for espionage during WWII and The Cold War.
They’re also said to have inspired Q Branch in the James Bond books and films – cool right?
Now that the government’s Official Secrets Act has expired on the location of these subterranean spy lairs they can be opened up to the public, and it turns out there’s plenty to see.
What’s Down There?
Right now what you’d find is a project underway to transform the tunnels into a working tourist attraction – that’s a project that’s likely to last until 2027, so you’re going to have to wait for what we’re about to describe below.
Once the site opens you’ll be subject to an immersive experience (will that buzzword still be with us by 2027?) that seeks to plunge you into the world of London in The Blitz and flesh out the way the tunnels were used during The Cold War.
The tunnels were originally Blitz-era bomb shelters but it’s the Cold War history that’s maybe the most interesting – It was down here that international communications between The Kremlin and The White House were run.
Is all this history starting to bore you? Don’t sweat it, there’s something down here for everyone. Rumour has it the people at The London Tunnels are angling to put a cocktail bar down here – one that, sitting 40 metres below ground, would be Britain’s lowest-ever licenced bar.
We’ll drink to that.
The London Tunnels: Practical Tips
When: The tunnels are set to open in 2027
Where: Holborn, right beneath your very feet
