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A hidden network of tunnels 100ft under Central London goes on sale today.
The Kingsway Tunnels were built in 1940 as deep air-raid shelters and have since been used as a war command headquarters, a library and the telephone exchange that connected the presidents of the US and the USSR in the Cold War.
The Post Office took over the tunnels after the Second World War, and now its successor, BT, has put them up for sale. With 77,000 sq ft (7,153 sq m) of space under the centre of the capital available, offers of £5 million are expected.
Access to the mile-long system of horizontal and vertical shafts is through unmarked doors in High Holborn, and the site is fully equipped with electricity, water supply and ventilation equipment.
The Public Record Office used the tunnels for a while to store 400 tonnes of secret documents, before the complex became a trunk exchange to connect long-distance telephone calls in the days before the subscriber trunk-dialling code.
It could hold 8,000 people during air raids and when it was an exchange housed about 80 staff, with a canteen and recreation room, pictured.
The tunnels feature in Greatest Cities of the World with Griff Rhys Jones on ITV1 tonight.
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car parking. would make the £5m back in no time at all!
Marco, Kraków, Poland
I would use them to store old political promises.
Frank Upton, Solihull,
I'm sure Al-Qaeda would be interested in this.
Sascha, London,
I am definitely interested in purchasing this complex, would be ideal location for my next venture.
Lex Luther, Sydney,
london underground should buy them up to cope with overcrowding on the district line
patrick, Singapore, Singapore
I worked in the building next door in the early 60s and we all
wondered what was inside. One chap tried to go in once just
to see but was politely told it was private. It's nice to know at last
Mal, March,
maybe Gordon should buy them to go with his financial tunnel vision?
john redmond, widnes, cheshire
I hope the buyer opens them to the public, I would love to see them.
dbtreacle, London, England
if the housing boom continues, i would bet a developer would turn it into flats and apartments complete with "creamy nuetral colours"
Liam, Aberdeen, Scotland
I hope there will be some very serious checks on who buys these tunnels ?
The mind boggles as to what they could be used for should they get into the wrong hands !!!
maggie millington, brittany, france