Runnymeade Council Nuclear Bunker
Neill
local council bunker.
Pictures have emerged to prove the existence of a nuclear bunker under
the old Runnymede Council offices in Addlestone.
Long thought to be an urban myth, the network of reinforced concrete
rooms were built in 1965 at the height start of the Cold War with
Russia.
The bunker's existence has only been confirmed in recent weeks when
Emma Warren, curator of Chertsey Museum, was invited in by the Council
to record and take pictures of the interior, ahead of the office's
demolition this year.
Emma said: "When the old council offices were built, part of the plans
were for a nuclear bunker at the bottom, underneath the rest of the
building, for a select few people and important documents.
"It was kept secret from most people, with only a few of the most
important people knowing about it."
Scenes from the nuclear bunker
When the bunker was completed it was below the offices of Chertsey
Urban District Council, which became Runnymede Borough Council in 1974
following a merger between Chertsey and Egham councils.
There is a narrow set of stairs down into the bunker from inside the
building, and a large room with three smaller ones off it, including a
shower for anyone who had to stay down there for a long time.
Emma added: "The bunker has been used for storage for many years and
was flooded quite recently, so it's not in a very good state.
"As far as I'm aware, there are no surviving documents relating to the
bunker, and any lists of who was to use it has long since
disappeared."
It is thought that any documents listing who might be able to use the
bunker if there had been a nuclear attack, have been destroyed,
because they would also reveal who was not entitled to stay in safety.
Runnymede Council vacated the offices in March 2008 when it moved next
door into the current £11m purpose-built new civic offices, and plans
to sell the old site off for redevelopment.
Despite the pictures, the council still refuses to officially
acknowlege the bunkers' existence.
A nuclear bunker also exists underneath the Spelthorne Council offices
in Knowle Green, Staines, and is being used to store old files and
furniture.
Neill
malc
That's very interesting.
>
> Despite the pictures, the council still refuses to officially
> acknowlege the bunkers' existence.
>
:-) That amused me.
b
and have a nose in the shelter. It wasn't big and there were only a couple
of rooms. At the bottom of the stairs was a thick blast door which led into
a separate air tight chamber with a 'shower' and foot bath. Beyond this in
the main chamber was a couple of rooms with a few desks. Radio equipment was
there and a few books on 'stuff'. There was an escape tunnel which wasn't
long and apparantly came up under a man hole cover in the road.
I wish I'd taken a few pictures down there before I left, I didn't know much
about the civil defence side of things and I am far more interested now than
then!!
This is now long gone of course.
Other Council offices (not naming here)-not just Spelthorne, also still have
some old cold war relics in the basements (not staff!!)
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