Cold War tunnels under Holborn approved to become a tourist attraction

A network of Cold War tunnels under Holborn has taken a step closer to opening up as a public venue now that the City of London has approved planning permission for the change of use.

Built during WWII as shelters from bombs but never used by the public, the tunnels were converted into deep-level telecoms exchange during the Cold War. They became rather legendary in the subterranean world when details about them emerged.

They were put up for sale in 2008, but no serious bidders emerged until recently when fund manager Angus Murray bought the tunnels with the plans to open them to the public.

A couple of surface buildings on Furnival Street will be redeveloped and combined into a single structure, with the ground floor used as the main entrance to both a permanent ‘Heritage Experience’, as well as a temporary cultural space for various exhibitions.

The tunnels are expected to attract upwards of 2 million visitors annually.

Down in the tunnels, there are the long WWII tunnels, called the “streets”, hosting the permanent exhibition and branching off them, the much larger Cold War tunnels, called the “avenues”, which will be used for the temporary exhibitions.

Away from that, part of the older WWII tunnels has been turned into “London’s deepest bar,” a space for school groups to use. Obviously, there will be a gift shop on the way out.

Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee, Shravan Joshi, said: “I am incredibly excited by these plans and hope that LB Camden feels the same way. At the City of London, we are delivering a thriving, sustainable Square Mile, through a combination of business growth and celebration of our local heritage. The new and exciting heritage, arts and culture activity that this scheme has the potential to deliver, will enliven the local streets and venues.

“As we work to transform the Square Mile into a seven-day-a-week destination, developments like the one proposed for the Kingsway Tunnel site will become global attractions for a variety of visitors, which are projected to rise substantially.”

As the tunnels underground, and a second surface building also cross borough boundaries into Camden, the project will also require planning permission from Camden Council, which is still pending.

The new owner plans to invest an estimated £140 million into restoring, preserving and fitting out the site, with a further £80 million allocated to installing the immersive technology and screens.

If everything goes as planned, The London Tunnels could open to the public in 2027.