Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker Facts for Kids

The bungalow that serves as the entrance to the Kelvedon Hatch Nuclear Bunker

The Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker is a large underground bunker near Kelvedon Hatch in Essex, England. During the Cold War, it was kept ready as a secret place for the government to operate if a nuclear attack happened. Since 1992, the bunker has been open to the public as a museum. It teaches visitors about its important role during the Cold War.

Building the Secret Bunker
History of the Bunker
Inside the Secret Bunker
The Bunker Today
Gallery
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Building the Secret Bunker

Radio Antenna at Kelvedon Hatch

This three-level bunker was first built in the 1950s. It was part of a project called ROTOR, which aimed to improve Britain's air defenses. Its first job was to control air defense operations. Later, its role changed. It became a "Regional Seat of Government" (RSG) or "Regional Government Headquarters" (RGHQ).

The bunker was designed to hold hundreds of military and civilian staff. Their job would be to help people survive and keep the government working after a nuclear attack. The number of people it could hold changed over the years as its purpose changed.

History of the Bunker

The Kelvedon Hatch bunker was built between 1952 and 1953. It was a strong, underground control center for the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fighter Command. It helped manage air defense for the London area.

From the 1960s until the early 1990s, the UK government used the bunker. It was an emergency site for regional government operations. When the threat of nuclear war lessened in the early 1990s, the bunker was no longer needed. It was sold back to the farming family who owned the land before it was built. Today, it is a popular museum. Many of its original features from the ROTOR and RSG/RGHQ days are still there.

Inside the Secret Bunker

Inside the bunker

The bunker is built about 125 feet (38 meters) underground. The entrance looks like a normal house, called a bungalow, hidden among trees. Inside the bungalow, a long tunnel, about 100 yards (91 meters) long, leads down to the bunker's lowest floor. There are two more floors above it. A radio mast is located some distance away on the surface.

The bunker could house hundreds of people. It could also keep them safe and supplied for up to three months. It had its own air conditioning and heating systems. It also had its own water supply, using both main water and a deep well. Generators provided electricity. The bunker was filled with many types of radio and communication equipment. These systems were protected from things like an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). This meant they would still work after a nuclear explosion.

The Bunker Today

The formerly secret bunker is now a signposted tourist site.

By 1992, the bunker was no longer needed by the government. It was then sold back to the Parrish family, who had owned the land before. They have since turned it into a museum and a tourist attraction. It's quite funny that there are now brown tourist signs everywhere. They clearly direct people to the "Secret Nuclear Bunker"! The TV show Top Gear even joked about these signs.

The bunker has also been used as a filming location. It appeared in the TV show The Murder Game. It was also featured in an episode of New Tricks called "The Queen's Speech". In 2010, a British horror film called S.N.U.B! was filmed there. The 2016 video game The Bunker was also filmed entirely inside the bunker.

In recent years, the land around the bunker has been used for obstacle races. These events are run by a company called Nuclear Races.