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Underground 'Cold War City' For Sale

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the underground-the-weather-is-always-nice dept.

Hogwash McFly writes "A huge underground complex that was built as a nuclear refuge for the British Prime Minister in the 1950s has been put on the market. Code-named Burlington, the bunker now has a population of only four maintenance workers, yet sprawls over 240 acres and accommodates 60 miles of roads. Underground power stations supply energy for 100,000 street lamps and amenities include a railway station and a pub called the Rose and Crown. Among ideas suggested for the £5,000,000 bunker include a data centre, wine cellar, rave club or fifties theme park. It is not clear whether a tank for keeping laser-equipped sharks is included, however."

8 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. Hmmm by TRRosen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sorta makes you wonder what kind of place they replaced it with.

    1. Re:Hmmm by magarity · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Sorta makes you wonder what kind of place they replaced it with.
       
      Probably a very deep basement directly under the Parliment building with tunnels to the same under 10 Downing St and Windsor castle. The problem with bunkers out in the countryside is getting to the thing when a nuclear missile submarine can wipe out the city with about five minute's notice. Any modern equivalent can't be further away than a run down the hall to an express elevator.

  2. First a mine, then a WW2 ammo dump by magarity · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The history of the place has to be put together from different parts of the article. At first glance it seems that it was created from scratch for government officials but read the whole thing: First it was a mine which was worked out. The mine was converted into an ammo dump for WWII, at which time it became a military installation. And then in the 50's, before ICBMs and missile submarines, it was finally made into a bomb shelter. Fairly reasonable then when nuclear warheads numbered in the dozens worldwide. The only real question is why it wasn't decommissioned in the 70's (when ICBMs and subs made getting there from London unlikely) and turned into something else instead of waiting til now.

  3. Re:Bullshit by Alioth · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Dunno whether you've been in any older tunnels recently, but typically, they are lit by low pressure sodium lights that are very close together - typically less than 3 feet apart.

    --
    Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
  4. Re:Bullshit by rubycodez · · Score: 5, Insightful

    you're also asuming the whole thing has one level? one description I read had that it was "catacombed with tunnels"

  5. Not needed: Bombs arrive quicker now. by MDMurphy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's value as a bomb shelter went away when slow flying bombers were no longer the weapon delivery mechanism. As the article says, once the warning time dropped to 4 minutes, evacuating to the shelter became impossible.

    1. Re:Not needed: Bombs arrive quicker now. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Almost right. Change that to "It's value as a bomb shelter *for people* went away when slow flying bombers were no longer the weapon delivery mechanism." and I'll agree with you.

      It would still be useful as a data repository (fianancial, as well as library archive, or comic book collection) or art gallery.

      "Stuff" doesn't need to ever leave. That way there is no response time issue. Just leave it down there.

  6. Paintball by Literaphile · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Imagine the possibilities!