Until 1993, Kelvedon Hatch was Britain's Top Secret Cold War nuclear bunker. Built in 1952, when the Cold War was at its chilliest, the 'Hatch' remained in a state of constant readiness for more than 40 years, before being sold to the farmer on whose land it lies.
Cunningly concealed beneath a farm cottage, the secret bunker is just 20 miles from London. In the event on an atomic attack, the Prime Minister, along with the Cabinet and 600 key military personnel, was to make a beeline for the specially equipped subterranean operations centre and from there co-ordinate the country's war effort. The nuclear bunker itself is an extraordinary feat of engineering and logistics. Although it lies 100ft beneath the surface and was built with more than 40,000 tons of concrete, its contractors were not told what, ultimately, it was to be used for, and locals had no idea of its existence.