A top-secret Cold War bunker lies abandoned beneath a major UK city, with miles of concrete tunnels and nuclear-proof walls.
Located 35 meters beneath the busy streets of Birmingham, it remains a complex bunker designed to protect against nuclear attack.
The underground network, built in the 1950s, is well hidden and few know where the entrance is.
The structure was built to protect British telecommunications from bomb attacks during the Cold War.
It was called “Anchor”, after the Birmingham jeweler’s trademark.
The secret bunker stretches for miles from the BT Tower to Southside and beyond.
BT workers still use the tunnel for modern communications links.
The incredible structure once housed generators and plant equipment that supplied power to the bunker, according to Birmingham Live.
This ensured that the Telephone Exchange – located on the top floor – remained operational for months.
About 20 trained supervisors looked after the vast telecommunications equipment.
However, by the 1980s, technological advances in communication left much of the equipment stored in the bunker outdated.
The rooms that served to store advanced technology are still intact today.
The public can visit the spooky cantina and cafeterias that once had pool tables.
These tunnels will likely remain relevant for years to come as they continue to support crucial cable lines that keep Birmingham’s communications network running.
Birmingham isn’t the only major city to have a Cold War bunker.
Pear Tree House looks like just another drab apartment block in suburban south London.
Completed in 1966, the bunker would have provided refuge to local authorities in the event of nuclear war.
Civil servants and other employees were said to have lived in the 18-bedroom underground structure during the aftermath of the nuclear attack on London.
The officers reportedly ran into the structure and then sealed the security door behind them.
They would have been tasked with trying to provide important civilian functions in the event of war, as London suffered mass casualties with the NHS overwhelmed.
The bunker’s communications center would have been an important hub where authorities attempted to maintain contact with the government and other public authorities.
The Scientific Advisors’ Room was another important area where authorities would have monitored nuclear zones in the London area.
The bunker also had a canteen with a hatch, sanitary facilities and a ventilation system.
In the 1980s, the bunker was the target of anti-nuclear protest groups such as the CND.
The structure was used as an emergency center by the London Fire and Civil Defense Authority until the early 1990s.
Local historians maintain a keen interest in the site, which is a striking reminder of Cold War-era Britain.
This comes after an incredible nuclear bunker went up for sale and its price was cut by more than half.
And this forgotten bunker built to protect the Royal Family from a nuclear attack is open to visitors.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story