Could This Wartime Bunker Be One Of Our Next Tourist Attractions

There are a wide range of interesting and unusual tourist attractions scattered around the British Isles, but the possibility that a tunnel network used as a World War II and Cold War bunker could be joining their ranks is certainly turning a head or two.

Britain's next tourist attraction?

The Drakelow Tunnels that are located at Kidderminster in Worcestershire could be turned into a museum and coffee shop under newly submitted plans. Spread over some 285,000 square feet, the tunnels were turned into a regional seat of government during the Cold War in case of a nuclear attack, having previously housed an underground factory for producing aircraft engines.

They were built by Rover under the auspices of the Ministry of Aircraft Production’s Shadow Factory Scheme, being used at the time for storage and machine workshops. There is room for a truck to drive through the main tunnel, and as an added bonus to a fledgling tourist trade, the site has a reputation for paranormal activity.

Prior to having been sold at the end of the Cold War, the government refurbished many parts of the  site, under plans to accommodate important local and national government personnel, including the deputy prime minister, as well as armed forces medical staff. The regional seat of government kitchen was used at the start of the Cold War.

The recently submitted plans would be financed by the construction of three semi-detached houses nearby, and have been lodged with Wyre Forest District Council by the owners Quercus Ilex.

Sid Robinson, one of the volunteers with the Drakelow Tunnels Preservation Trust, said he wanted the tunnels to be turned into a cafe and an education centre.

"We would recreate the eras of the '40s and '50s and set up the offices with desks and chairs like they used to be," he said. "We'd also open the dormitories where the ladies and men used to sleep, and the operating theatre and factory. The original kitchens are still here and we would show footage of when they were working."

A consultation period ends on 15 September.

                                       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drakelow_Tunnels
                                              http://www.drakelow-tunnels.co.uk/