# Plymouth Maritime HQ Mount Wise, Ex-MOD Nuclear Bunker Sept09



## steve_o (Sep 20, 2009)

Well. After 2 months of phone calls i finally managed to get a tour of MHQ mount wise! I have to Say a very big thankyou to Pete and Andrew - our tour guides and such nice, not to mention patient! chaps. Both were very informative about this amazing and relativly unknown Bunker system. 

So after a few more calls to fellow Plymouth DP members. Justcurious, V-W-Chick, Strokesboy21, Badoosh, TTW, Graybags plus a few others all arrived outside Admiralty House in Plymouth.
Built in 1820 as the private residence and military offices of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Plymouth Garrison. In 1935 it was taken over by the Admiralty and became the new offices of the Commander-in-Chief. Hes since moved out and the MOD sold the place on in 2004 when the MHQ was decommisioned.

This is a Nuclear bunker system that was still in active MOD service 24hrs a day untill 2004!

A little history of the bunker system: Bits of information extracted from Subbrit who has a great indepth report on the place. http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/m/mount_wise/index.html

Proposed in 1937 before the outbreak of WW2 plans were decided for a Combined command HQ a Mount Wise.
Work started in 1939 to build a bunker able to withstand a direct hit by a 500lb bomb. After a few issues halted construction mainly Adminstrative, It was fully complete by early 1941.
By 1942 work started to Extend the HQ by tunneling underneath the Lawn of Admiralty house. It stopped in 1943 due to subsidance issues of the Admirals lawn. It stated again and was finished in 1944.
These extended tunnels became a main hub for communications. Radio, telephone, telegraph and voice frequency (vf) terminals connected to major military commands and HQs etc elsewhere in the UK.
In 1955 some blast protection was added to the entrances and ventilators.
By the mid 1980s it was realised that the HQ was completly out of date with regards to Nuclear, Biological and Chemical standards. Plans were for a complete new construction for the the HQ, but due to high costs it was decided to just upgrade what was already there and the HQ was completly overhauled to bring it to the required standards. Starting in 1985 where a Computer system replaced the old system of big maps and plotting. 
In 1990/91 Major building work was started with fitting of 2 large V12 Rolls-royce powered generators, updated ventilation, Air conditioning and filtration systems. At this time securing some of the original and now unsafe WW2 tunnels was also carried out.

The pictures!

Admiralty House. The Bunker is built into the back garden. 






Blast protection of entrances and ventilation





Anchor point for Communications mast





Roof of the bunker










Blast Door





Main entrance to the HQ leading from Richmond walk, this is the way most of the staff would have gained access.





All documents were shredded and Incenerated.





Entrance to the Bunker!










Apparently this is good. If it was red we should be worrying. Basically its the 'Defcon' status













Server/computer room, grills in the floor provided Air conditioning





What is remaining of the original 2 story high map. No longer needed due to computers.





Secure Telephones





The Bunker is kept in a positive pressure to outside. This cuts out any fall out entering the bunker





All that is need to start a Bunker up. 4x 12v batteries are enough to throw the contactors and light the baby up! 





Apparently a fire exit





Showing the structure of the bunkers roof





This Room is the most secure room of the HQ. Two entrances, both with airlocks. The room is completly lined in steel. The walls and ceiling made up of metal plates all welded together. This is then bonded to the ground by a huge Earthing Rod. Theory being the room is protected from electronic crippling Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP).





The Earth Rod! about a 5-6 inch diameter copper rod. 





Original stairway from the old neopolionic 'Dock lines' Now preserved inside the bunker. The bunker was built in the defensive ditch of an earlier defence.





Water storage tanks, each fed by an 80ft deep bore hole.





NBC filtration plant





Stairway down to WW2 tunnels













Remains of where a ww2 toilet used to be










Rolls-Royce V12 Generator





Big Turbo!


















Hopefully others will post bits ive missed...


----------



## kernowexpeditionary (Sep 20, 2009)

great pics m8, of this fantastic site, well done!


----------



## tbkscott (Sep 20, 2009)

wow looks like a great site to explore nice pics to well documented - well done


----------



## foz101 (Sep 20, 2009)

Nice selection of pics. I like good bunker, looks like it was fun. Top work.


----------



## mk1kebab (Sep 20, 2009)

This place looks awesome!!!! I any ideas how deep the bunkers are?


----------



## smileysal (Sep 20, 2009)

Excellent work on getting to go in here. The place looks awesome. Still looks in top condition, as if ready to be used as and when.  Excellent pics mate, I do like this. 

Excellent work, 

 Sal


----------



## Badoosh (Sep 20, 2009)

This has got to be one of my favourite ever explores. It's one of them places that leaves you a little bewildered & still many people who walk the public park surrounding haven't the foggiest of what lies the other side of the wall or under their feet. The Cold War bunker is impressive but it's the WW2 tunnel system that completely blew me away. There's so much history from different era's on Mount Wise & it was finally great to see what was such a secret place during it's operational times.

Many thanks to Steve O for finally getting some joy for this visit & of course the tour guides Pete & Andrew. Here's a selection of my pics from the visit. Pleasure to finally meet with some more Plymouth members from here too .

On the roof of MHQ





WW2 Generator Block





View on the roof looking towards Mount Wise Redoubt





Steps down the main entrance of the bunker





Naval Stores





Turnstile access to the bunker





Looking from the turnstile towards the main gate to MHQ, built within the ditch of the Devonport Dock Lines





Comms room





EMP protected door





Signage to some of the many rooms within the bunker





That spiral staircase, a perfect blend of Napoleonic & Cold War construction





Intercom





Images from the Plymouth Underground Extension










































Sorry for the amount of pics but i did take a few (hundred)!


----------



## Lightbuoy (Sep 20, 2009)

Top stuff -great condition and even better pics!

Excellent work -well done and thanks for sharing! 

Never seen a Nuclear bunker connected to WW2 and older parts too!


----------



## Urban-Warrior (Sep 20, 2009)

WoW.. some amazing shots.. now thats what I call a blast door!


----------



## Engineer (Sep 21, 2009)

*Bunker.*

Nice place, nice pics.


----------



## Flexible (Sep 21, 2009)

Excellent work, well done. Fascinating and depressing, looking at this makes one think of the places that even today are still off-limits to ordinary folk.
Plymouth, being a naval base, would probably have had several rather large yield missiles targeted at it. That bunker doesn't look to me as if it would survive _one_ blast in the megaton-range.


----------



## Engineer (Sep 21, 2009)

*Bunker.*



Flexible said:


> That bunker doesn't look to me as if it would survive _one_ blast in the megaton-range.



It's not even up to conventional "Bunker Buster" munitions.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunker_buster[/ame]


----------



## Apothocary (Oct 6, 2009)

@ Badoosh or Steve_O:

I couldn't find any button for PM'ing... so I'm gonna have to post this here. Hope that is okay.

On behalf of Switch Man Production's latest film ">BIOS_", a short science-fiction, can I ask either of you to drop me a line at [email protected] to further discuss the HQ Mount Wise location and it's bunker as a possible location for the film. I'm asking you guys, as you have had prior experience at the site and may be able to point me in the right direction?

Any collaboration will not go un-noticed and you will get a credit on the film for your efforts.

Thanks for your time,

Looking forward to talking,

Craig


----------



## Badoosh (Oct 6, 2009)

Apothocary said:


> @ Badoosh or Steve_O:
> 
> I couldn't find any button for PM'ing... so I'm gonna have to post this here. Hope that is okay.
> 
> ...



Will drop you an e-mail shortly Craig


----------



## night crawler (Oct 6, 2009)

Absolutely brilliant report that loved the photos.


----------



## fastfrankie (Oct 6, 2009)

Fantastic site! I can't believe the ligting is left on! How long did your visit take? Are there any security droids? Plymouth is a long drive for me but I would love to explore this one.


----------



## strokesboy21 (Oct 7, 2009)

was a real good day thanks steve


----------



## steve_o (Oct 7, 2009)

fastfrankie said:


> Fantastic site! I can't believe the ligting is left on! How long did your visit take? Are there any security droids? Plymouth is a long drive for me but I would love to explore this one.



IT was kinda an organised tour of the place. Its not deralict as such. Its just being held while finding a buyer/developer/planning etc.

Its decommisioned, but still live so to speak. Our tour guide said he went down and started up the ventalation 3 days prior to our visit. To get the air flowing again. Lights we turned on as we entered each room. we were down there a good 2-3 hours


----------



## HaroldBadger (Oct 19, 2009)

Hi guys, great report! Gutted I missed this though, havent been on the forums for ages due to other things going on. Be interesting to know more about what it's going to be. The last I heard, it was bought by a couple guys who were converting it into an IT data centre but got shelved due to the complexity and cost of the project.

Guess im gonna have to wait until next time to have a peek into this place  I presume the next visit, if it happens, you'll post on here before hand?

Btw for anyone in the Plymouth area, highly recommend the Excelsior Tunnel, near Luckett, Callington. Google it and have a read, really interesting but it was a devil to find. Also the Coads Green ROC post but sadly the hatch way has rusted and quite hard to close when you've finished but other than that, its in good condition.


----------



## chris (Dec 8, 2009)

I'm hoping to make it to Plymouth for the first time this Friday (coming from Kent) to look at some of the Fort remains and would really like to see this - anyone know who I could contact to see if I can get permission? Really would like to see the WW2 tunnels (understand a lot of the ciold war remains have been stripped alerady). I'd be pleased to reciprocate if any of you come over this way


----------



## urban (Dec 8, 2009)

Amazing site and some good pictures. 

The earthed steel room's a Faraday cage, takes any electrical current straight to earth without any harm to the occupants or equiptment. That's some earth rod though!!


----------



## undeterredham (Dec 8, 2009)

That is an awesome explore!! Good work getting that arranged, and goods piccies too.

Top work.


----------



## Pincheck (Dec 8, 2009)

impressive stuff guys


----------

