It's hard for me to know where to start with this report because it goes back such a long way.
If you're living in the dark ages and have dial-up, you may as well give up now! Back in around 2003-2004, my friend Matt and I used to work the nightshift at our local supermarket and at 6am, we'd clock out and jump in the car to find "somewhere cool". One of the first places we came across was Farleigh Down Sidings and that started off our summer of poking around Wiltshire. We had no idea what we were looking for but we had this book, "Secret Underground Cities" (the Bible) that we poured over whilst lying in the sun, eating reduced cakes from work and smoking fun stuff. In our naivity, we were convinced we would just stumble across it in Browns Folly wood. Not only were we in the wrong place, it had only just been declassified and the only juicy information we could find on it was on the BBC website. We scoured the internet for more information but by then, I was leaving for University and we both got sacked from our jobs at the supermarket (that's another story). I lost touch with Matt but continued to have an unhealthy interest with Wiltshire's underground which is when I signed up to the forums to ask for info. It was not forthcoming ha ha!
Whoosh forward two years and by hook or by crook, I'd managed to wangle my way onto a trip with Dark Places to Burlington. We had a guided tour of everything that was underground including Tunnel Quarry. The photos were pretty much kept under lock and key and hope of getting down there illegitimately was a distant fantasy. However, whoosh forward again another couple of years after dozens of fruitless missions climbing over deads and following tenuous leads, it became apparent that it may just be possible.
Cancel all arrangements until further notice and head to the West Country! Under the guise of a kidney infection (which was absolutely genuine and not recommended), I stayed at my parents house and crept out to Corsham to cause trouble. A nuclear bunker is a much better cure for these things than dyalisis! I think a massive thanks must go to everyone really for keeping the dream alive! (Oscar winning moment, tears at bedtime).
One of my reports wouldn't be complete without a copy and paste from Wikipedia even though it's a very sparse history. It gives you a basic knowledge of what the hell went on down here but for more reading, the following websites are a mine of information:
Burlington Bunker
BBC - Wiltshire - Wiltshire's Underground City - Burlington
British defence doctrine during the early Cold War period indicated a requirement for a fallback location for central government outside London, to assume national control in the event of London being destroyed. The quarry complex at Corsham was chosen for this location and development of the site commenced in the 1950s. In the event of imminent nuclear attack, it was assumed that the government would be evacuated from London by rail or helicopter. The facility would provide a safe haven for the Prime Minister, Cabinet, commanders of the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and British Army and supporting civil servants and military personnel.
The site had a number of code names during its lifetime: Stockwell, Turnstile and Burlington.
Facilities inside the complex included accommodation and catering for nearly 4,000 people, including a hospital, self-contained electrical generation equipment, and the ability to seal off the complex from the outside environment, which could be contaminated by radiation, poison gas or other threat.
In practice the use of the facility would have required planning and a controlled migration since the warning times of an unannounced nuclear attack preclude mobilisation out of London, though this would have been more likely to be done late in the crisis phase.
The site was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in 1991 following the fragmentation of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, though it was kept on standby in case of future nuclear threats to the U.K. Finally, in December 2004, with its underground reservoir drained, emptied of fuel and supplies, and with a skeleton staff of just four, this site was decommissioned and abandoned.
The Laundry
View attachment 219778
The telephone exchange
If you're living in the dark ages and have dial-up, you may as well give up now! Back in around 2003-2004, my friend Matt and I used to work the nightshift at our local supermarket and at 6am, we'd clock out and jump in the car to find "somewhere cool". One of the first places we came across was Farleigh Down Sidings and that started off our summer of poking around Wiltshire. We had no idea what we were looking for but we had this book, "Secret Underground Cities" (the Bible) that we poured over whilst lying in the sun, eating reduced cakes from work and smoking fun stuff. In our naivity, we were convinced we would just stumble across it in Browns Folly wood. Not only were we in the wrong place, it had only just been declassified and the only juicy information we could find on it was on the BBC website. We scoured the internet for more information but by then, I was leaving for University and we both got sacked from our jobs at the supermarket (that's another story). I lost touch with Matt but continued to have an unhealthy interest with Wiltshire's underground which is when I signed up to the forums to ask for info. It was not forthcoming ha ha!
Whoosh forward two years and by hook or by crook, I'd managed to wangle my way onto a trip with Dark Places to Burlington. We had a guided tour of everything that was underground including Tunnel Quarry. The photos were pretty much kept under lock and key and hope of getting down there illegitimately was a distant fantasy. However, whoosh forward again another couple of years after dozens of fruitless missions climbing over deads and following tenuous leads, it became apparent that it may just be possible.
Cancel all arrangements until further notice and head to the West Country! Under the guise of a kidney infection (which was absolutely genuine and not recommended), I stayed at my parents house and crept out to Corsham to cause trouble. A nuclear bunker is a much better cure for these things than dyalisis! I think a massive thanks must go to everyone really for keeping the dream alive! (Oscar winning moment, tears at bedtime).
One of my reports wouldn't be complete without a copy and paste from Wikipedia even though it's a very sparse history. It gives you a basic knowledge of what the hell went on down here but for more reading, the following websites are a mine of information:
Burlington Bunker
BBC - Wiltshire - Wiltshire's Underground City - Burlington
British defence doctrine during the early Cold War period indicated a requirement for a fallback location for central government outside London, to assume national control in the event of London being destroyed. The quarry complex at Corsham was chosen for this location and development of the site commenced in the 1950s. In the event of imminent nuclear attack, it was assumed that the government would be evacuated from London by rail or helicopter. The facility would provide a safe haven for the Prime Minister, Cabinet, commanders of the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and British Army and supporting civil servants and military personnel.
The site had a number of code names during its lifetime: Stockwell, Turnstile and Burlington.
Facilities inside the complex included accommodation and catering for nearly 4,000 people, including a hospital, self-contained electrical generation equipment, and the ability to seal off the complex from the outside environment, which could be contaminated by radiation, poison gas or other threat.
In practice the use of the facility would have required planning and a controlled migration since the warning times of an unannounced nuclear attack preclude mobilisation out of London, though this would have been more likely to be done late in the crisis phase.
The site was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in 1991 following the fragmentation of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, though it was kept on standby in case of future nuclear threats to the U.K. Finally, in December 2004, with its underground reservoir drained, emptied of fuel and supplies, and with a skeleton staff of just four, this site was decommissioned and abandoned.
The Laundry
View attachment 219778
The telephone exchange
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The photo's are impressive to say the least. Welldone.
