For sale: Britain’s underground city

October 31, 2005 10:51 PM

Welcome to Cold War City It covers 240 acres and has 60 miles of roads and its own railway station. It even includes a pub called the Rose and Crown. Oh, and it's underground. And for sale. Much more interesting than the article, though, are these photo galleries.
posted by dersins (18 comments total)

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posted by dersins at 10:52 PM on October 31, 2005 [1 favorite]

More outlandish ideas put forward include a nightclub for rave parties ... or a reception centre for asylum seekers. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ruled out any suggestion of ... providing open public access because of the dangers that still lurk below.

*Evil reactionary grin*. Why, that makes it perfect for ravers or asylum seekers! We could store them for years!

Related: Abandoned deep bomb shelters in the London Underground. [mefi]

And the sadly disappeared Secret Underground Cities
posted by dhartung at 11:44 PM on October 31, 2005

Perhaps I've played too many first person shooters constrained by engine tech to indoor environments, but *all* of these places seem instantly very, very familiar...
posted by Jon Mitchell at 1:00 AM on November 1, 2005

Yes, very HL2.
posted by singletrack at 1:16 AM on November 1, 2005

I think the obvious course for it to be put up for some sort of mad scientist auction. Throw in 500 matching henchman uniforms to sweeten the deal.
posted by shanevsevil at 1:48 AM on November 1, 2005

Could make a great 1950s coldwar themepark, open year round regardless of rain. :)
posted by dabitch at 2:21 AM on November 1, 2005

Could make a great 1950s coldwar themepark, open year round regardless of rain. :)

Or nuclear war!
posted by Mijo Bijo at 3:07 AM on November 1, 2005

More outlandish ideas put forward include a nightclub for rave parties...

Is that any more outlandish than its originally intended use -- keeping up a pretense of government after nuclear Armageddon?
posted by alumshubby at 3:14 AM on November 1, 2005

It is incredible that some people tought there could be some safety in the underground , as if surviving a few years was satisfactory and sufficient.

It's a testament to human resilience but at the same time also to human need for an illusory safety ..something that can lead to idiotic conclusions like "we can throw the h-bomb, we got the nuclear shelter ! "

The sensation it's a kind of Auschwitz of conflicting ideologies in which one isn't thrown alive in a oven, but because of ideological reasons wilfully throwns inself into a well furnished death chamber.
posted by elpapacito at 3:34 AM on November 1, 2005

I worked for a summer here, operating the blast doors before it was decommissioned and turned into a museum.

Since I worked 3 days on, 3 days off, I tended to sleep and live in the bunker and get to explore on my off hours. Lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Great fun.
posted by smcniven at 5:40 AM on November 1, 2005

Yes, very HL2.

Also very Day of the Dead.
posted by Gamblor at 7:22 AM on November 1, 2005

Great pictures, dersins, thanks. I saw that article yesterday, but the photos really complete it.
posted by Gamblor at 7:34 AM on November 1, 2005

we should all pool together and buy it. if every mefite puts forth $5, we could do it.

I don't know what we could do with it though, except maybe fill it with a mural for every thread ever posted.
posted by klik99 at 7:49 AM on November 1, 2005

I've had dreams that take place there.
posted by Eideteker at 8:28 AM on November 1, 2005

Hah, Gamblor, I thought the exact same thing. Kept looking for Bub and his toothbrush.
posted by dazed_one at 9:38 AM on November 1, 2005

“It was like a set from The Avengers,” said Nick McCamley, author of Secret Underground Cities, who lived locally and first discovered the existence of the site in the 1960s.
posted by chrominance at 10:24 AM on November 1, 2005

Great links, but every time I see a photo of one of those trucks I can't help thinking about Austin Powers.
posted by Pollomacho at 10:35 AM on November 1, 2005

If I buy it, will they ship it for free?

Super cool stuff and yes, very familiar with all the FPS games. I'd be highly tempted to turn it into a paintball arena.
posted by fenriq at 3:55 PM on November 2, 2005