20th+: CGWHQ - Central Government War Headquarters

The Central Government War Headquarters (CGWHQ) is a 35-acre (14 ha) complex built 120 feet (37 m) underground as the United Kingdom's emergency government war headquarters – the hub of the country's alternative seat of power outside London during a nuclear war or conflict with the Soviet Union. It is located in Corsham, Wiltshire, in a former Bath stone quarry known as Spring Quarry, under the present-day MoD Corsham. In 1940, during the WW2, the site was acquired by the Minister of Aircraft Production and used as an underground engine factory.

It was commissioned in 1955, after approval by prime minister Anthony Eden. However it became outdated shortly after it was built, due to intercontinental ballistic missiles being able to target it, and the formulation of other plans (such as PYTHON). Nevertheless the complex continued to have a role in war plans and remained in operation for thirty years.

At the end of the Cold War, in 1991, the still-unused complex was taken over by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and kept on standby in case of future nuclear threats to the UK.

The complex was known variously as "Stockwell", "Subterfuge", "Burlington", "Turnstile", "Chanticleer", "Peripheral", and "Site 3". It was also nicknamed "Hawthorn" by journalist Duncan Campbell, who first revealed its existence in his 1982 book War Plan UK. It was also mentioned by Peter Laurie in his 1979 revised edition of Beneath the City Streets.

In December 2004, with the underground reservoir drained, emptied of fuel and supplies, and with a skeleton staff of just four, the site was decommissioned. In October 2005, it became public that the MoD was putting the site up for sale in a package deal that included the CGWHQ with the military base above it. Proposed uses include a "massive data store for City [financial] firms or the biggest wine cellar in Europe".

In October 2015 certain areas of the complex including the Telephone Exchange were put on the Historic England "At Risk" register due to their immediate threat of being lost or damaged beyond recognition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Government_War_Headquarters .

History and General Info

http://burlingtonandbeyond.co.uk/wp/ .

https://www.insider.com/inside-burlin... .

https://historicengland.org.uk/listin... .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/underg... .

The Bunker for sale

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/20... .

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/b... .

Soviet Nuclear Programme

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-h... .

British Nuclear Programme