I was lucky enough to get onto one of the latest Paddock tours run by Subterranea Britannica and the housing association that now owns the bunker.
There were about 25 people in the tour group I was in, so I hung around at the back of the group so I could get photos without anyone in the way.
“Paddock” was the original code name for this bunker, which was intended to be an alternative cabinet war room should a devastating air strike hit Whitehall. The bunker would have accommodated the War Cabinet and the Chief of Staff of the air, naval and land forces. The whole bunker was built between 1939 and 1940 in complete secrecy to a cost of around £250,000 (£15 million in today’s money) on the site of the Post Office research station. The bunker only consists of two floors – Floor 27, and Floor 28.
The whole tour was fascinating – from seeing the very early form of air conditioning they had on the first floor, to seeing the cabinet War Room itself which still had some of the sound proofing in-tact. The War Room had extra ventilation and air conditioning partially due to the amount of cigars the members of the Cabinet would have smoked in meetings. Only two meetings were ever held here, and Churchill was only present for one; he was ill for the second meeting in the bunker.
Another purpose built War Room called North Rotunda on Great Peter Street, Westminster was finished in 1941, and this became Churchill’s new safe place, meaning all furnishings were moved from Paddock to North Rotunda in 1943. Skeleton staff remained at Paddock until the end of 1944, when the bunker was finally locked up and left.
After the war the upper basement and above ground building were used by the post office as extra laboratory space and some rooms were used for recreational activities; the staff drama group also used the bunker as a changing room after performances. The research station closed in 1974 when the Post Office moved out to Martlesham Heath in Suffolk. The Post Office finally vacated the site in September 1976.
Thanks for looking,
Rubex
There were about 25 people in the tour group I was in, so I hung around at the back of the group so I could get photos without anyone in the way.
“Paddock” was the original code name for this bunker, which was intended to be an alternative cabinet war room should a devastating air strike hit Whitehall. The bunker would have accommodated the War Cabinet and the Chief of Staff of the air, naval and land forces. The whole bunker was built between 1939 and 1940 in complete secrecy to a cost of around £250,000 (£15 million in today’s money) on the site of the Post Office research station. The bunker only consists of two floors – Floor 27, and Floor 28.
The whole tour was fascinating – from seeing the very early form of air conditioning they had on the first floor, to seeing the cabinet War Room itself which still had some of the sound proofing in-tact. The War Room had extra ventilation and air conditioning partially due to the amount of cigars the members of the Cabinet would have smoked in meetings. Only two meetings were ever held here, and Churchill was only present for one; he was ill for the second meeting in the bunker.
Another purpose built War Room called North Rotunda on Great Peter Street, Westminster was finished in 1941, and this became Churchill’s new safe place, meaning all furnishings were moved from Paddock to North Rotunda in 1943. Skeleton staff remained at Paddock until the end of 1944, when the bunker was finally locked up and left.
After the war the upper basement and above ground building were used by the post office as extra laboratory space and some rooms were used for recreational activities; the staff drama group also used the bunker as a changing room after performances. The research station closed in 1974 when the Post Office moved out to Martlesham Heath in Suffolk. The Post Office finally vacated the site in September 1976.
Thanks for looking,
Rubex
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