A vast network of tunnels built to shelter Londoners during bombings in World War II is set to be transformed into a major new tourist attraction, according to The London Tunnels, the company behind the project.
Located beneath Holborn in central London, the tunnels span 1.6km and were hand-dug from 1940 to protect civilians from German air raids. By the time construction was completed in 1942, the bombing had largely ended, and they were never used as intended.
"It's real. It's emotional," said Angus Murray, chief executive of The London Tunnels, describing the underground space, which lies 30 metres below the city.
The tunnels later served as a wartime intelligence hub, housing a spy headquarters in 1944 where James Bond author Ian Fleming worked for naval intelligence – an experience thought to have inspired Q Branch in his novels. In the 1950s and 60s, they operated as a telephone exchange for around 200 staff, complete with a canteen and staff bar.
Since the 1970s, the tunnels have remained largely unused. Now, a £120 million (US$149 million) redevelopment will see them repurposed as a museum and exhibition space commemorating their wartime history. Plans also include a bar serving Vesper Martinis, a cocktail famously linked to James Bond, in what is hoped to become the deepest licensed bar in the United Kingdom.
The attraction is expected to draw up to three million visitors annually, with ticket prices set at over £30 (US$37).
Murray compared the project’s potential impact to that of the London Eye, stating, "In London, if one thing works, it's tourism." The attraction is scheduled to open by late 2027 or early 2028.