Kelvedon Hatch (Secret Nuclear Bunker)
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Kelvedon Hatch (Secret Nuclear Bunker)
Kelvedon Hatch Nuclear Bunker was started as an RAF ROTOR Station, then a brief period as a civil defence centre through to its most recent life as a Regional Government HQ in the event of a nuclear strike during the cold war. The bunker was designed to hold anything up to 600 military and civilian personnel, possibly even the Prime Minister. In the event of a nuclear strike their task would be to organise the survival of the population and to try to keep government operations going.
History
The Kelvedon Hatch bunker was built in 1952/3 as part of Rotor. Rotor was an urgent government building programme that was designed improve Britain's air defence network. The bunker was the Sector Operations Command for the RAF Fighter Command. Known as SOC - R4, it was to provide command and control of the London Sector of Fighter Command.
The bunker is built 125 feet (38 m) underground and the entrance is through an ordinary looking bungalow amongst some trees. Once into the bungalow, it leads to a 100 yard (100 m) tunnel before you are in the bunker itself. Above you are two more floors, the 'hill' which covers it, and a radio mast, which would have been vital for communications with other survivors in the event of a nuclear strike on this country. If there were any that is. The bunker would act as the control for the rest of this Britain and talk to the other smaller bunkers to decide what would be done next.
During the 70's,80's & early in the 90's the government maintained the bunker at great expense to them and eventually in the early 90's the nuclear threat was seen as diminished and the bunker was sold back to the family who owned the land back in the 50's.
Inside the bunker
The bunker is able to accomodate up to 600 people and can sustain them for anything up to 3 months. The bunker has air conditioning and heating, its own water supply and generators. The bunker held food for the 600 people in it for the 3 months. The bunker had beds for these people to sleep so it wouldn't be totally uncomfortable for them whilst they were staying inside the bunker.
The bunker also had a BBC studio which would have broadcast to the population (if there was any left) and the rest of the world. From here the three minute warning would be given to the country. This warning would have told the whole of the country about the attack and that it would hit in three minutes.
Modern times
Since it was sold back to the original owners in the early 90's it went under renovations and was opened up by them so people could for the first time go in and see the inner workings
