London’s secret tunnels to open as new tourist attraction with the UK’s deepest bar

A sprawling web of concealed underground tunnels is being transformed into a large caller London tourer attraction.

Hidden 40m beneath the streets of the capital, the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels were built to structure Londoners during the Blitz successful World War II.

But the deep-level aerial raid structure was completed aft the warfare ended — and truthful ne'er used.

Now, for the archetypal clip ever, the tunnels volition beryllium opened to the public, transformed into an immersive tourer attraction: The London Tunnels.

What are The London Tunnels?

Construction connected the tunnels began successful 1940, with workers digging the passages by manus — immoderate sections are truthful heavy they tin acceptable a double-decker autobus inside. 

But by the clip they were completed successful 1942, the Blitz had ended, and the menace of bombing had diminished. 

Londoners nary longer needed the extortion of the shelters, having sought refuge successful the underground instead, and truthful the tunnels were ne'er utilized for purpose.

Instead, they were utilized by the government arsenic a telecommunications centre and basal for the Special Operations Executive.

This concealed British organisation was liable for espionage, sabotage and supporting absorption movements during Nazi-occupied Europe.

Bond writer Ian Fleming adjacent worked successful the spy office successful naval intelligence.

The determination is wide thought to person inspired Q Branch, the fictional part of the Secret Service, wherever Bond goes to get his specializer equipment.

After the war, British Telecom took implicit the tunnels and maintained power until they closed successful the aboriginal 1980s.

The web was besides location to the UK’s deepest underground barroom and canteen for workers.

The tunnels were kept concealed for astir 70 years, arsenic portion of the Government’s Official Secrets Act, until 2007. A twelvemonth later, BT enactment them up for sale.

What volition the caller London Tunnels connection for tourists?

Former concern banker Angus Murray is spearheading the plans to crook the tunnels into a memorial to the Blitz, which helium says volition location a museum, exhibits and amusement spaces.

There are besides plans to unfastened the ‘deepest licensed barroom successful the United Kingdom’  – wherever visitors tin expect to beryllium served Vesper Martinis.

According to its website, the tunnels could perchance gully up to 2 cardinal visitors annually and could beryllium ‘one of the astir thrilling planetary destinations’.

When volition the London Tunnels open?

Murray likened the expected interaction of the Tunnels to the London Eye – which opened successful 2025 and draws millions of visitors annually.

But sadly, tourists volition person to hold to sojourn the iconic site.

The London Tunnels won’t beryllium unfastened to the nationalist until precocious 2027. oregon adjacent aboriginal 2028.

The estimated the outgo of the tourer attraction, which was approved by authorities past year, volition outgo astir £120 million.

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