johnsunter.com - The adventures of an ordinary person...

I spend the day at Hack Green "secret" nuclear bunker. This is one of the 12 regional bunkers, that could govern the country in the event of a nuclear war. The bunker is now open to the public, and is quite fascinating to visit.

Although there is a sign outside, the Bunker is located, literally in the middle of no-where and its hard to imagine anyone wondering around and bumping into it, which I imagine was its first line of defense.

The main corridor of the bunker, leading to the rooms and exhibits.

If the UK had been threatened by nuclear attack, the prime minister advised by the war cabinet would seek royal agreement for the emergency powers act, and the dissolution of parliament.

A secure telephone was installed in all of the Royal residences.

The telephone in this picture, isn't a replica, it was actually installed in one of the palaces.

In the event of a nuclear attack and with the implementation of the emergency powers act, a special constabulary of officers would be added to the normally front line police

The relationships would be much like the one between the police and the British transport police.

The atomic energy authority constabulary helmet, which differs from a traditional police helmet, due to its insignia.

The main briefing room, where the Home Office would give news updates and status reports to the media (basically the BBC).

The radio studio that would have been manned by BBC staff.

This would have been used to broadcast the briefings and news updates to the general public.

Part of the bunker staffed by BT Engineers, who would work to keep a basic communication network in order.

The fire service co-ordination desk.

Desks manned by civil servants representing transport, environment, agriculture etc.

Rebuilding of the regional infrastructure would begin here, almost immediately.

A decontamination chamber, near the entrance.

The reconstructed sick bay.

There were many articles on the wall, explaining the kind of symptoms that could be expected after a nuclear attack. It was harrowing.

There was also a soundtrack of groaning and screaming in the background.

The bunker also featured a lot of cold war memorabilia.

Here a Soviet post showing different Rifle techniques, and on the right, a propaganda poster.

The people in Bunker, normally slept in shifts, and would have had hardly any privacy.

The blankets on the beds, were like sandpaper, and the mattresses, extremely thin. Still, the people inside the bunker would have been alive, and many of the ones outside, probably not.

The only member of staff to have his own room, was the commissionaire (his room was actually an office with a bed in it, and wasn't exactly hotel quality.

We were invited to try sleeping one one of the beds.

I would have preferred to sleep on the floor !.

One of the actually shelters, had been converted, so that it would simulate the noises that would be hear in an actual shelter, during a bombing.

It was pretty scary in there.

BMEWS - Ballistic missile early warning system.

The map in the background, is used to co-ordinate which part of the UK was targeted, and where the ordinance was expected to hit.

The other part of BMEWS shows alert status and combat readynes (basically, the ability to retaliate).

Its still in use today.

Very low frequency transmitter control.

Used for secure communication to ships and submarines.

In a nuclear war, it would have been used to contact our trident submarines, and launch a combined nuclear attack.

This system isn't a replica, it was actually used by Margaret Thatcher to order the sinking of the General Belgrano, during the Falklands conflict.

In the canteen, they actually have a nuclear bomb, on display.

Hack Green, has an extensive collection of decommissioned nuclear weapons. Its joked, that if they worked, Hack Green would be the 5th largest nuclear power in the world.

We had Tea and a Kitkat. What an excellent day out.

A day at Hack Green Nuclear Bunker in Cheshire.