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Inside huge underground bunker in UK built in case of nuclear war

Inside huge underground bunker in UK built in case of nuclear war

These days it's a tourist attraction because nuclear war definitely isn't happening, right?

If you're thinking of somewhere fun for the whole family you might want to consider bringing your nearest and dearest to an old underground nuclear bunker which was supposed to protect Brits from nuclear war.

Following the end of the Second World War people were ever so slightly worried about the possibility that another conflict would break out - and that nuclear bombs could level cities across the nation.

An arms race began to push for more nuclear weapons and more powerful bombs that could pretty much wipe the human race off the face of the Earth.

If the other lot had the power to destroy the planet then by jingo we'd better acquire the ability to kill everyone in the world too!

This bungalow hides a nuclear bunker built over 70 years ago, and you can even go inside it.
Susie Kearley / Alamy Stock Photo

There was also the idea that if both sides could blow each other to kingdom come then neither side would because they'd be destroyed as well, making the only winning move not to play.

For decades people lived with the idea that alarms could blare telling them they only had a handful of minutes before the bomb dropped.

Quite chillingly we came worryingly close to it all being over but the crying on a few occasions but we appear to have made it through, though never say never.

Being caught in a nuclear war would have been a bit of an inconvenience, and the government's official guidance wouldn't have done much to save you from the bombs.

The Central Operations Room, where survivors of nuclear war would plan Britain's future.
UrbanImages / Alamy Stock Photo

Your best bet would have been to be inside an underground bomb shelter (or somewhere like Australia), but places in those were limited so you'd have to hope you were one of the lucky few.

One such place built in the UK in the 1950s is now a tourist attraction you can go and see for yourself, though at first glance, you might not know it was a bunker.

That's because the Kelvedon Hatch Nuclear Bunker is a top secret bunker located north of Brentwood just off the A128 that people didn't much about at the time, and there's a bungalow built on top of it.

If you didn't want a nuclear bomb to send you to the light at the end of the tunnel then you had to head down this tunnel.
Jon D / Alamy Stock Photo

With space and supplies for up to 600 people including top ranking government and military officials to stay hidden for up to three months without venturing outside, much of the bunker has been left the way it was when it was decommissioned in 1992.

Stepping inside you'd find all manner of old machinery amongst the tunnels and blast doors, as well as rooms where people could plan the nation's survival and generally live out the end of the world.

Featured Image Credit: Susie Kearley / Alamy Stock Photo/Jon D / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: UK News, News, Weird