Why has the london transport museum opened the tunnels to the public now. We broke into the tunnels via an entrance at clapham south. Opened to the public in july 1944, clapham south deeplevel shelter has over a mile of subterranean passageways that reveal the extraordinary stories of those who sheltered here, from londoners seeking refuge during the second world war, to hopeful caribbean migrants arriving on the empire windrush. Jan 07, 2016 one hundred twenty feet and approximately 178 steps down, one can now find the place where many south londoners took refuge during world war ii. A tour of the wwii clapham south deeplevel shelter, in. Londoners were given a ticket with an assigned bed and each dorm was named alphabetically under a theme, like naval heroes. Clapham south subterranean shelter tour london 2020 all you. Sep 05, 2016 join steve on a tour through the tunnels of gants hill tube station in london, uk. Clapham south is a station on london undergrounds northern line between clapham common and balham. Clapham souths secret wartime tunnels opened to public beneath clapham south tube station lie a warren of tunnels which provided shelter for 8,000 people during world war two. The entrance in and a couple of wartime boards still in situ high up on the wall.
Clapham south underground station has reported access issues. Clapham souths secret wartime tunnels opened to public bbc. Tunnels is a book series written by roderick gordon and brian williams. Clapham is situated 4000 feet northeast of clapham south underground station. The long tunnels are very atmospheric with good artefacts and visual. Closed station closed due to operational restrictions. The deep level tunnels at goodge street have had a particularly interesting history.
The book under london, being published in 1939, did not cover the structures built during the war, however it does show the rapid change in the types of defences needed to protect londoners. Lifestyle books 27 images of forgotten stations and disused tunnels in the london underground a new book explores the deeplevel shelter in clapham south and the hidden tunnels of euston. Oct 19, 2015 dig for victory the clapham south deeplevel shelter october 19, 2015 by makingthemarrow the london transport museum are currently running a series of hidden london excursions to abandoned sites on or near tube stations. After the war ended, there was still a terrible accommodation shortage in london. The tunnels would be placed below existing station tunnels at clapham south, clapham common, clapham north, stockwell, oval, goodge street, camden town, belsize park, chancery lane and st. During the later stages of world war ii clapham was hit by several v1 flying bombs and a v2 missile hit clapham common.
When inspected in 1995 the tunnels were leased by security archives later. Clapham north and clapham common on the northern line. Nightingale lane in the london suburb of clapham south, on first inspection. The entrance is 180 steps down with a lift shaft running up the middle of a spiral staircase. Nov 29, 2015 the pillbox shaped brick buildings are easy to spot, such as the one across the road from clapham south station on the corner of clapham common or the traffic island for the oneway system at stockwell. Public transport should only be used for essential journeys. Dec 18, 2018 the old accommodation quarters at clapham south tube station image. Clapham is a district of south london lying mostly within the london borough of lambeth, but with some areas extending into the neighbouring london borough of wandsworth.
Clapham south deeplevel shelter was built during the height of the blitz in 1941. The shelter selected was clapham south, borrowed from the war office and. The entrance to clapham souths subterranean shelter, 2018. Clapham south world war ii bunker underground tour jenikya. After a brief introduction from the hidden london tour guide, we get our first bit of theatre. Each shelter consists of a pair of parallel tunnels 16 feet 6 inches 5. With detailed imagery, it includes information about the deeplevel shelter at clapham south, the closed aldwych station and the lost tunnels of euston, and was written with access to previously unseen archives, architectural drawings, and images. Three of them were built in clapham, at clapham north, clapham common and clapham south. Live updates are not available for this location at the moment. The station is located at the corner of balham hill a24 and nightingale lane. There would be five sites south of the river at clapham south, clapham common, clapham north, stockwell and oval and five to the north. Clapham south world war ii bunker underground tour. Up the road at clapham common, the tunnels for the shelters are used to. Book your tickets in advance to take advantage of shorter queues.
Clapham south deeplevel shelter a london inheritance. The shelters would have twin parallel tunnels 166 5 m in diameter and 400 yards 366 m long divided into two decks that would accommodate 9600 people in. There are 22 places available on each tour, and you can book online at. Tunnels under clapham common david ickes official forums. Wwii bunker in clapham to open for visitors to explore. Live arrivals for clapham south underground station stop. Tours have now begun of clapham south deep level shelter.
Ww2 air raid shelters in clapham common to open for tours. Clapham south underground station map england mapcarta. Nearby tunnels beneath clapham high street are being used for underground farm growing underground, while a bunker by the gherkin will become a new bar and crazy golf hub as of spring. Many settled in nearby brixton where there was a labour exchange. Here is a look around the tunnels deep beneath the. Each shelter consisted of 2 parallel tubes both 365 metres long. As with the other deep level shelters, the tunnels were split horizontally. Who knows what could be lurking beneath your house. Apr 15, 2016 visitors will also be able to see a warren of tunnels underneath clapham south station. Nov 18, 2016 during the second world war, balham underground station was one of many deep tube stations designated for use as a civilian air raid shelter. Built during the height of the blitz in 1941, after the loss of life at several improvised shelters in underground stations, clapham souths warren of tunnels provided sanctuary for 8,000 people. Then they got used by the government but opened again in 1944.
To find out more about what tours are available, please click the book now button. Are you ready to explore londons unseen underground world. Among londons many subterranean secrets, some of the most alluring are the concrete bunkers from. The water main was burst and the flood rolled down the tunnels, right up and down the line, and the thousands of refugees were plunged into darkness, water. Jan 18, 2016 built during the height of the blitz in 1941, after the loss of life at several improvised shelters in underground stations, clapham south s warren of tunnels provided sanctuary for 8,000 people.
After a brief introduction from the hidden london tour guide, we get our first bit of. It was decided that each shelter would comprise two parallel tubes 16 foot 6 inches internal diameter and 1,600 feet long and would be placed below existing station tunnels at clapham south, clapham common, clapham north, stockwell, oval, goodge street, camden town, belsize park, chancery lane and st. In 1948, the deep shelter was used as temporary accommodation for immigrants from the west indies. Clapham souths deeplevel shelter totals over a mile of tunnels and has had an incredibly varied life. These tunnels were incredibly deep and id guess 2 or 3 times deeper than the clapham tube stations. Northern to 300 morden via bank at clapham common platform 2 2 mins. Clapham south underground station transport for london. When i was at school me and a friend broke into this massive and deep network of underground tunnels in clapham, london. The tours to see londons abandoned and unused tube stations and other underground areas fully book well in advance. A tour of the wwii clapham south deeplevel shelter, in pictures. You can see many of the features described below in a modern day tour of a deep level shelter i partook in on 19th march 2004 along with another visit to clapham north deep level shelter made on 12th december 2006 as congestion on the northern line increased in the 30s, a plan was developed to build a second pair of tunnels in parallel with the charing cross branch of the northern. There are dozens of hidden tunnels, vaults and bunkers hidden deep beneath the uk. The london deeplevel shelters are eight deeplevel airraid shelters that were built under london underground stations during world war ii. Visitors will also be able to see a warren of tunnels underneath clapham south station.
Jan 05, 2016 in october 2015 i obtained a ticket for a guided tour of the ww2 deep level air raid shelter at clapham common south, then not normally open to the public. In 1948 the clapham south shelter was used to house 200 of the first immigrants. Clapham south tube station wikimili, the free encyclopedia wi. But, unbeknown to many londoners, deep below their feet lie the tunnels and walkways of abandoned tube stations, some left untouched and unused since the last passenger left their platforms decades ago some have preserved the history of wartime britain, hiding remains from their use as air raid.
A couple of weeks ago, as part of the london transport museum open days i visited the clapham south deeplevel shelter, built during the 2nd world war. New discoveries at clapham souths deeplevel shelter. The tunnels under clapham were once used as homes image. Clapham south s secret wartime tunnels opened to public beneath clapham south tube station lie a warren of tunnels which provided shelter for 8,000 people during world war two. The secret sites that helped win wwii daily mail online. My thats english forgotten secret wartime tube station opened. Clapham south is one of the eight deep level shelters constructed in london during world war ii beneath existing underground stations. The abandoned london underground tunnels of clapham that. During the blitz of 1940, a reappraisal of deepshelter policy was undertaken and at the end of october the government decided to construct a system of deep shelters linked to existing tube stations. Please see timetables to check the frequency of your service. Welcome to the secret world of the old concrete tubes under clapham common. Dollis hill to cater for the wartime cabinet in the event that the whitehall bunker was compromised. Explore the abandoned tube stations of london m by.
Even with the welcome addition of the canteenserved jam tarts that were not subject to the ration book, i can. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. St pauls was not built due to fears it would destabilised the cathedrals foundations, and the oval was abandoned due to flooding. Theres more to clapham south station than meets the eye and i joined a hidden. The tunnels of clapham south are the deepest of the deeplevel shelters, and sit beneath the northern line. Here is a look around the tunnels deep beneath the streets of south london. Tfl has just announced that the wartime tunnels underneath clapham south tube station are to be revamped along with tours the public can attend. Built during the height of the blitz during world war ii in 1941 clapham south deeplevel shelter is opening its doors to the public when london transport. London transport museum occasionally run tours to clapham south deeplevel shelter.
London transport museum have a lease to turn these tunnels into a visitor attraction. It is in both travelcard zone 2 and travelcard zone 3. The organisation of the clapham south shelter was incredible. Beneath clapham south tube station lie a warren of tunnels which provided shelter for 8,000 people during world war two. The tubes in london stop so frequently it is difficult to imagine more stops used to exist. During wwii, the station was used as an air raid shelter and the tunnels as a munitions factory for plessey electronics. Journey 11 stories underground to explore clapham souths deeplevel shelter and explore the extraordinary stories of those who sheltered here, from londoners seeking refuge during the second world war, to hopeful caribbean migrants arriving on the empire windrush, and even thrifty visitors to the festival of britain.
Clapham south opened on the 21st of october 1942 and provided accommodation for up to 8000 people across two levels, it had taken less than two years to construct the tunnels by hand but the blitz was over by the time they were completed. Dec 22, 2015 wwii bunker in clapham to open for visitors to explore ever wanted to see what it was like to shelter from the blitz. My thats english forgotten secret wartime tube station. It was built to stand against a direct hit from a 500lb bomb. The shelters would have twin parallel tunnels 166 5 m in diameter and 400 yards 366 m long divided into two decks that would accommodate 9600 people in bunks. The spooky hidden tunnels and vaults beneath britain. Walking down the 180 spiral steps with an air raid siren sounding sets the mood. Dormant for 70 years, south londons wartime tunnels now. And thats what there is at the clapham south subterranean shelter. We all know there are tube train tunnels under londons streets, and we. Jan 18, 2016 wartime tunnels underneath londons clapham south metro station will open to the public for guided tours, according to transport for london. After the war, the dormitories in south london became temporary accommodation for immigrants from countries like jamaica who were invited to live in the uk.
You will be able to soon when this underground bunker opens to the public. Londons wartime bunkers to open for tours aol news. Remote island where anthrax was tested on sheep and the royal familys alternative to windsor are revealed to. A shelter beneath soho square is also in the offing to be transformed into a new subterranean restaurant or bar. A labyrinth of subterranean tunnels beneath londons clapham south tube station that offered shelter to local residents during the blitz is to be opened to the public. Oct 18, 2015 a couple of weeks ago, as part of the london transport museum open days i visited the clapham south deeplevel shelter, built during the 2nd world war. Plessey opened their facility in 1942, and production lasted until 1945 before the station was opened for public transport on 14 december 1947. Clapham south tube station is at the southern edge of clapham common. London transport museum the south london tube stop still operates today, but few passing through its tunnels know that they are walking through the former living quarters of windrush migrants arriving in england in the 1940s. Clapham south deep level abandoned railway station. When looking for wills missing father, will burrows and his friend chester accidentally discover a secret underground city filled with. Deeplevel shelters are located at south east corner of clapham common. Clapham south secret underground bunker pictures show life in.
Palace hotels near covent garden hotels near westminster abbey hotels near churchill war rooms. Every day people walk and jog across clapham common in. Your ticket price includes a clapham south shelter tour, halfprice entry oneday ticket, applies to on the door price to london transport museum, and 10% off all hidden londoninspired products at our shop, valid within one month of your hidden london event. Dig for victory the clapham south deeplevel shelter.
Built during the height of the blitz during world war ii in 1941 clapham. The hmt empire windrush arrived at tilbury in 1948 carrying 492 immigrants. Riding a landrover through the tunnels at the top of the village they pass under the grounds of ingleborough hall. Wartime pictures of the shelter show the kind of blitzspirited londoners that only seem to appear on old newsreel films. Jul 14, 2016 clapham south opened on the 21st of october 1942 and provided accommodation for up to 8000 people across two levels, it had taken less than two years to construct the tunnels by hand but the blitz was over by the time they were completed. The abandoned london tube stations lying untouched deep. Journey 11 stories underground to explore clapham souths deeplevel shelter.
London transport museum operates tours of the shelter at clapham south. Station closed to help key stations remain open and allow essential journeys only. This bomb i think penetrated the steelencased tube below the ground, and i hear too that something, by a million to one chance, went down the ventilator shaft of the underground station. The hidden london tour to clapham south deep shelter really is a unique experience. After the war the tunnels were put to various uses housing immigrant. A long, dark tunnel stretches off into the distance, its full extent unclear. Jan 06, 2016 tfl has just announced that the wartime tunnels underneath clapham south tube station are to be revamped along with tours the public can attend. Clapham south ww2 air raid deep shelter, london thetimechamber. A 6 minute service is operating due to operational restrictions. Clapham south subterranean shelter tour london 2020.
These were at chancery lane on the central line and belsize park, camden town, goodge street, stockwell, clapham north, clapham common and clapham south on the northern line. Take a look around clapham south\s wwii underground refuge. One hundred twenty feet and approximately 178 steps down, one can now find the place where many south londoners took refuge during world. Those who had no home to return to were given a season.
Clapham souths secret wartime tunnels opened to public. Clapham south was built to house 8,000 people although they wished it to be more at the time. It is one of eight london underground stations with a deeplevel airraid shelter underneath it. Above ground its a tube station like any other, but underground clapham south hides a warren of lifesaving tunnels preserved since the 1940s. I 1948 it was used to house 200 of the first west indian immigrants for 4 weeks until they could be housed. Tunnels book 1 mass market paperback february 1, 2009. Clapham souths deeplevel shelters have played an important role in. Built during the height of the blitz in 1941, after the loss of life at several improvised shelters in. They stood, trapped, struggling, panicking in the rising black invisible waters. Tunnels, deeper, freefall, closer, spiral, and terminal. Clapham south tube station wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Take a look around clapham south\s wwii underground. Nick young do you know all these secret bunkers in london. One entrance to the air raid shelter is in the common park area on the other side of the entrance to present days clapham south underground station between clapham south and clapham common stations.