The calm and picturesque countryside of Essex, England may seem as pretty as a picture. It looks appealing with all the peace and quiet, and sheep grazing around you; but the place holds an interesting secret. Sprawling over massive acres beneath a farm is an old nuclear bunker, completely prepared to face any incoming nuclear attack. This bunker is built 100 feet below the ground and people did not know about it for years. 76-year-old Mike Parrish, under whose house the bunker was built, was looking for something in his backyard one day when he came across a tunnel leading to this bunker; This 109 metre long tunnel is made of 10 feet thick concrete walls. It is so strong that it can withstand a normal earthquake. Mike Parrish says that he was aware of the bunker built under his home as told to him by his grandfather but before discovering the tunnel, he did not know how to access it.
Mike Parrish recounted the tale of excavating the hill using a bulldozer. He explained that back in 1952, during Winston Churchill’s administration, the government had erected a refuge due to fears of a Soviet Union attack. Mike’s grandfather, Jim Parrish, owned a vast expanse of 2,000 acres of land. Consequently, the government procured 25 acres from this property to construct a bunker. The hill was excavated using a bulldozer, and then the soil was redeployed to conceal the construction, ensuring no one would suspect anything had been built underneath. Farming activities commenced atop the hill as a cover.
Situated just 5 miles from London, this location remained one of Britain’s most closely guarded secrets for decades. Soldiers utilised the bunker for training exercises, discreetly coming and going in civilian attire to avoid arousing suspicion. Notably, no convoy of vehicles was ever seen coming to or leaving from the site.
The bunker had all the arrangements for accommodation of 600 people. A hospital, several bathrooms, and a big canteen were built so that in case of an attack by atomic bombs, the entire government could take shelter in it. In the event of someone dying during this period, many coffins and body bags were kept here to keep the deceased. Because the government had to spend 3 million dollars every year on its maintenance, the bunker was closed in 1992.
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