TUNNELLING IN
Inside top-secret MI6 spy tunnels used in WW2 as a hub for British insurgents – and how YOU can visit them
The tunnels also inspired James Bond films
A NETWORK of top-secret MI6 spy tunnels used in World War II are set to open to the public for the first time.
The Kingsway Exchange Tunnels in Central London were originally built to shelter people during the Blitz.
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The mile-long subterranean tunnels, between Chancery Lane and High Holburn tube stations, are to be restored and preserved.
They were kept secret for nearly 70 years as part of the government's Official Secrets Act.
The tunnels were once home to the Special Operations Executive - an offshoot of MI6.
The underground shelters may even have inspired Q Branch in Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, where the author was the Admiralty's Liaison Officer.
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The tunnels, to the east of Covent Garden, span an area of 8,300 sqm and stretch 7.6m in diameter - equal to the width of three London buses.
They were dramatically enlarged by the British Government at the start of the Cold War to serve as a secure and secret long-distance telephone exchange.
The tunnels operated the first Transatlantic telephone cable, TAT1, which notably acted later as the hotline between Moscow and Washington the during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
When in operation the Kingsway Exchange accommodated up to 200 staff supported by self-contained water and air conditioning systems.
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They even housed what is thought to be the deepest licensed bar in London, a restaurant with mock windows and a recreational room complete with snooker tables.
By the late 1980s telecommunication technology had advanced and the tunnels' telephone centre became obsolete and was fully decommissioned.
New £220m Underground Tourist Attraction Under London Revealed!
The £220million attraction will reopen it to the public with heritage trails featuring integrative structures and immersive experiences along the way.
London Tunnels CEO Angus Murray said: "The history of the tunnels, their scale and the location between London's Holborn and the historic Square Mile, could make these tunnels one of London's most popular tourist destination."
The project is being conducted with with established architecture firm Wilkinson-Eyre, also behind the Battersea Power Station, Science Museum and Mary Rose Museum.
Further afield they were also behind the famous Gardens by the Bay in Singapore and Ikea Museum in Sweden further afield.
Mr Murray added: "Visitors will be able to explore the inspiration for Q Branch from James Bond and an actual deep-level shelter to protect the British against German bombing."
The attraction hopes to open by 2027 at the earliest.
An official opening date and ticket prices are yet to be revealed but hopes to attract as many as two million tourists.
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