The History
The Kingsway telephone exchange was built as a deep-level shelter underneath Chancery Lane tube station in the early 1940s, compromising two east-west aligned tunnels, one each side of the Central Line. Although intended for use as an air raid shelter, like many of the deep level shelters it was not used for its intended purpose and was instead used as a government communications centre. Material from the Public Records Office was stored there from 1945 to 1949.
The site was given to the General Post Office (GPO) in 1949. At the time, the Post Office was also responsible for telephones as well as postal system. The two-tunnel shelter was extended by the addition of four shorter tunnels, at right-angles to the original pair. This extension was completed by 1954, and in 1956 it became the UK termination point for TAT-1, the first transatlantic telephone cable.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, Kingsway Trunk Switching Centre (as it became known) was a trunk switching centre and repeater station with Post Office engineering staff totalling over 200 at its peak. Also located on site was the Radio Interference Investigation Group, whose function was to prevent television viewers and radio listeners in north and central London from suffering interference to their service from external sources such as thermostats, fluorescent tubes and injection moulding equipment. The country's first Radio paging terminal was also installed on this site in the 1970s.
The site had a staff restaurant, tea bar, games room and licensed bar. Its bar claimed to be the deepest in the United Kingdom, located at approximately 200 feet below street level. The site contained an artesian well and rations to maintain several hundred people for many months, ensuring a safe environment in case of nuclear attack.
By the early 1980s the site was subject to a phased closure after large quantities of blue asbestos were found on the site. By 1995 only the main distribution frame was still in service. This reportedly has been removed.
BT originally put the site up for sale in 1996 but failed to find a buyer, in October 2008, British Telecom announced that the tunnels were again for sale advertising the 77,000 sq. ft. of space, the firm hoped the sale could attract offers of about £5m.
BT hoped that the unique nature of the site means it is unsuitable for conversion into a hotel or office.
The Explore
Always been interested in having a look down here, but always been busy when the invites have gone out or had a look and it’s always been sealed. Checked it a few times over the years and never had any luck, then promptly forgot about it and got on with other stuff.
I’ve been spending a fair bit of time in “that London” lately and Kingsway came into my thoughts again, so I decided to head over that way and have a look.
As I’m sure most of you know it’s on what can sometimes be a busy little back lane and timing is of the essence.
So I grabbed a bite to eat and had a wander as I eyed up my prey.
Well my assumed point of entry as expected didn’t appear to be fun, and wasn’t. But that didn’t matter as an easy way was soon found and off I trundled inside.
Wow what a place, the various pictures I’ve seen on here and Instagram just haven’t done the place justice. It’s hard to imagine how it must have been when it was fully working with the hustle and bustle of people getting on with their daily work.
I rate Kingsway as one of my favourite explores and could quite happily go back again, maybe with my BMX to save so much walking lol
Enjoy the pics
The Kingsway telephone exchange was built as a deep-level shelter underneath Chancery Lane tube station in the early 1940s, compromising two east-west aligned tunnels, one each side of the Central Line. Although intended for use as an air raid shelter, like many of the deep level shelters it was not used for its intended purpose and was instead used as a government communications centre. Material from the Public Records Office was stored there from 1945 to 1949.
The site was given to the General Post Office (GPO) in 1949. At the time, the Post Office was also responsible for telephones as well as postal system. The two-tunnel shelter was extended by the addition of four shorter tunnels, at right-angles to the original pair. This extension was completed by 1954, and in 1956 it became the UK termination point for TAT-1, the first transatlantic telephone cable.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, Kingsway Trunk Switching Centre (as it became known) was a trunk switching centre and repeater station with Post Office engineering staff totalling over 200 at its peak. Also located on site was the Radio Interference Investigation Group, whose function was to prevent television viewers and radio listeners in north and central London from suffering interference to their service from external sources such as thermostats, fluorescent tubes and injection moulding equipment. The country's first Radio paging terminal was also installed on this site in the 1970s.
The site had a staff restaurant, tea bar, games room and licensed bar. Its bar claimed to be the deepest in the United Kingdom, located at approximately 200 feet below street level. The site contained an artesian well and rations to maintain several hundred people for many months, ensuring a safe environment in case of nuclear attack.
By the early 1980s the site was subject to a phased closure after large quantities of blue asbestos were found on the site. By 1995 only the main distribution frame was still in service. This reportedly has been removed.
BT originally put the site up for sale in 1996 but failed to find a buyer, in October 2008, British Telecom announced that the tunnels were again for sale advertising the 77,000 sq. ft. of space, the firm hoped the sale could attract offers of about £5m.
BT hoped that the unique nature of the site means it is unsuitable for conversion into a hotel or office.
The Explore
Always been interested in having a look down here, but always been busy when the invites have gone out or had a look and it’s always been sealed. Checked it a few times over the years and never had any luck, then promptly forgot about it and got on with other stuff.
I’ve been spending a fair bit of time in “that London” lately and Kingsway came into my thoughts again, so I decided to head over that way and have a look.
As I’m sure most of you know it’s on what can sometimes be a busy little back lane and timing is of the essence.
So I grabbed a bite to eat and had a wander as I eyed up my prey.
Well my assumed point of entry as expected didn’t appear to be fun, and wasn’t. But that didn’t matter as an easy way was soon found and off I trundled inside.
Wow what a place, the various pictures I’ve seen on here and Instagram just haven’t done the place justice. It’s hard to imagine how it must have been when it was fully working with the hustle and bustle of people getting on with their daily work.
I rate Kingsway as one of my favourite explores and could quite happily go back again, maybe with my BMX to save so much walking lol
Enjoy the pics
