Latest news with #HighHolborn
The Independent
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Secret tunnels that inspired James Bond to open for the first time
A secret network of World War II tunnels in London, which inspired the James Bond books, is set to open as a spy museum. The tunnels, located 40 metres below High Holborn, were originally built as air raid shelters during the Blitz and later used by the Special Operations Executive. The London Tunnels company is collaborating with the Museum of Military Intelligence (MMI) to create a permanent exhibition showcasing the history of military intelligence, including artefacts, equipment, and stories from various conflicts. The exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain, D-Day, Cold War espionage, the Falklands War, and more recent military operations. Work on the museum is scheduled to begin in 2027, with completion expected in 2028, and is projected to attract up to three million visitors per year, boosting local spending and creating jobs.
The Independent
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Secret network of spy tunnels to open as London's newest tourist attraction
A secret underground network of London World War II tunnels that inspired the James Bond books is set to turn into a brand-new spy museum, with new details now revealed. The capital is set to gain a new visitor attraction hidden in plain sight 40 metres below High Holborn, as the tunnels will now become open to the public after being kept in relative secrecy for nearly 70 years under the Official Secrets Act. The London Tunnels, the company that looks after this underground labyrinth, has recently announced a collaboration with the Museum of Military Intelligence (MMI) on the project, two years after the plans were first announced. The below street-level network is known as the Kinsway Exchange Tunnels and was constructed during the Blitz as a deep-level air raid shelter under the London Underground. The mile-long series of tunnels was shortly after occupied by the Special Operations Executive, a clandestine organisation established in July 1940 under the orders of then Prime Minister Winston Churchill, during the later stages of World War II. It was during this time that Bond author Ian Fleming was working as a liaison officer within the wartime administration, and it is thought that the tunnels inspired the research and development Q Branch in his novels. After a few other uses for the network, the tunnels were used for a secure hotline that connected the White House to the Kremlin during the Cold War, before it was taken over by BT. Now, the tunnels will have a new life as a major tourist attraction that hopes to welcome up to three million visitors per year. The tunnels will have a permanent exhibition showcasing the history of military intelligence and its use of the tunnel complex, including a special exhibition centred around the Special Operations Executive. The displays will spotlight original artefacts, equipment, weapons, documents and images through a 'modern high-tech experience' that promises to bring to life the history and techniques used by military intelligence. The exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain and D-Day, the espionage operations of the Cold War and the Falklands War. It will also display more recent military operations, including peace-keeping missions and the response to terrorism threats that have occurred within the 21st century. Visitors will also be able to delve into how the British military works today and what operations they carry out. Angus Murray, CEO of The London Tunnels, said: 'We are delighted to become the home of the public exhibition of the Museum of Military Intelligence. This new location will provide convenient central London access to an important and unique collection which has until now been largely hidden. 'The tunnels, built and designed to protect Londoners during the Blitz, are the ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable, and untold, stories of the men and women who played a vital role in protecting Britain then, and the role of the armed services protecting Britain today.' In its 2023 consultation documents, London Tunnels said the new museum would increase local spending up to £80m per year, create 40 onsite jobs and offer free trips for local schools.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
London tunnels that inspired James Bond creator will become spy museum
During his time in military intelligence, Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, regularly worked with Winston Churchill's spy organisation based 30 metres below ground in a labyrinth of tunnels in central London. The Kingsway Exchange tunnels complex, stretching out across 8,000 sq metres beneath High Holborn, near Chancery Lane underground station, hosted the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and is said to have inspired Q Branch in Fleming's novels. So it seems appropriate that plans to breathe new life into this long-abandoned second world war subterranean network will include a permanent exhibition about the history of military intelligence and espionage. The Military Intelligence Museum is to collaborate with the London Tunnels company, developing the complex to showcase its original artefacts, equipment, weapons and documents in a modern hi-tech experience at the proposed new £220m London tourist attraction, which is planned to open in 2028. Today the tunnels remain closed, but inside they yield many clues to their fascinating past. Construction began in 1940 to protect Londoners during the blitz but was not completed until 1942, so the tunnels were never used for their original purpose. A wide set of stairs remain, where those fleeing the Luftwaffe could descend from Chancery Lane tube station, though the entrance has long been blocked off. Later in the war, the SOE moved in to dream up all manner of imaginative ways to thwart the Nazis. The tunnels' next incarnation was as the Kingsway telephone exchange, which in the 1950s served as an internal communications exchange during the cold war. An artesian well, to provide fresh water to those stuck underground in the event of a nuclear attack, remains. British Telecom took over the site in the 1980s, creating the world's deepest licensed bar for use by the government staff. The old bar, decorated in then fashionable brown, orange and yellow, also remains, as does the long-disused staff canteen. The plan now is to create a new bar, with claims to be the deepest in any major city. Under the proposals, which have been granted full planning permission, the site will be developed into a three-in-one attraction – exhibitions, immersive interactive exhibitions and the bar. Exhibitions about James Bond and the cold war, as well as a memorial to the blitz, have all been mooted, and subjects will change regularly. Taking inspiration from venues such as Les Bassins des Lumières in Bordeaux, other spaces will provide fully immersive digital experiences. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The London Tunnels said work was scheduled to begin in 2027, with completion in 2028. It aims to attract up to 3 million visitors a year, revitalising an area close to the City of London which has had reduced footfall since the Covid pandemic. The venue will provide 'the world's most authoritative permanent exhibition of military intelligence', said Gen Sir Jim Hockenhull, the commander of Strategic Command and colonel commandant of the Intelligence Corps. 'The tunnels will provide a dramatic and historic backdrop for an exciting new approach to telling the story of the past, present and future of military intelligence.' This exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain and D-day, the extraordinary espionage operations of the cold war and the fight for the Falklands to peace-keeping missions and the terrorist threat of the 21st century. A special exhibition, created by the museum, will be dedicated to the SOE. Angus Murray, the chief executive of London Tunnels, said: 'The tunnels, built and designed to protect Londoners during the blitz, are the ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable, and untold, stories of the men and women who played a vital role in protecting Britain then, and the role of the armed services protecting Britain today.'
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Military intelligence show to be housed in London Blitz tunnels
The history of military intelligence will be explored as part of a planned tourist attraction in London's World War Two air raid shelter part of its plans to bring the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels to the public, London Tunnels will collaborate with the Museum of Military Intelligence to showcase original artefacts, equipment, weapons and 8,000 sq m of tunnels under High Holborn were built in 1942 to provide protection during the Blitz. They were later used as a home for a British spy Murray, CEO, The London Tunnels, said the site was an ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable stories of men and women who played a "vital role in protecting Britain". The tunnels, which featured in the first James Bond novel, have remained unused since they were decommissioned in 1990. The exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain and D-Day, the espionage operations of the Cold War, the Falklands War, peace-keeping missions and the terrorist threat of the 21st Century. General Sir Jim Hockenhull KBE ADC Gen, Commander of Strategic Command and Colonel Commandant of the Intelligence Corps, said it would be "the world's most authoritative permanent exhibition of military intelligence".The trustees of the Museum of Military Intelligence said the "historically significant and evocative location" would bring the exhibition to Museum of Military Intelligence was founded by the British Army's Intelligence Corps and is now also supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
