Original subtitles

Narrator: A towering circular structure

That stands above Hidden underground tunnels...

It has a very mysterious, Kind of otherworldly feel to it.

Clearly something top secret Was going on here.

Narrator: ...A seemingly endless Concrete line

Slicing through The countryside...

It looks modern and ancient At the same time,

Almost like it's some sort of A ruin from the future.

Narrator: ...And a building With a decorative exterior

Narrator: ...And a building With a decorative exterior

That hides a macabre And confusing interior.

But on the inside, it actually Had a really sinister purpose.

You'd never guess that Just by looking at its facade.

Narrator: once, they were some Of the most advanced structures

And facilities on the planet,

At the cutting edge Of design and construction.

Today, they stand abandoned, Contaminated,

And sometimes deadly.

And sometimes deadly.

But who built them? And how?

And why were they abandoned?

-- captions by vitac -- Www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by Discovery communications

*

*

Narrator: In the southwest of poland,

Close to the border With the czech republic

Stands the remains Of a structure

Stands the remains Of a structure

That's challenging Established history.

Bell: Seemingly out of nowhere,

You see this large, Circular structure.

It's almost like aliens have Just dropped this from the sky.

What is this thing? What's it doing here?

And you know what?

Something about it tells me There's more than meets the eye.

Narrator: it cuts a striking Figure in these hills,

Narrator: it cuts a striking Figure in these hills,

But it's not the only Decaying structure found here.

Gough: you see there's lots of Other buildings nearby,

And more importantly, You see they've dug

And created tunnels underground.

You wouldn't build a site Like this here for convenience.

You'd build it for secrecy.

Narrator: So what was this all for,

And what unworldly secrets Might this land be hiding?

And what unworldly secrets Might this land be hiding?

Swirling around this site

Are all sorts of theories And stories

That stem from the later years Of the second world war,

When this area was a hive Of hidden nazi activity.

The structure has been built At a remote location

Miles from any cities.

It's up in the mountains.

There's dense woods.

It's out of each of the allies,

And I think that's The important point.

And I think that's The important point.

Narrator: as the allies advance Their bombing raids,

The nazis move their weapons And research facilities

To remote locations,

Camouflaging the sites As they built them.

Sheltered beneath the trees,

This was once a sprawling Secret facility,

Just one of many across This heavily defended region.

On the ground, you would have Different defenses

Consisting of bunkers, Machine-gun posts,

Anti-tank posts.

It would be the kind of defenses That would take up

Probably several thousand men To protect.

Narrator: However, in these hills,

This 100-feet-wide monument Stands alone.

Some believe it's simply The remnants of a cooling tower

Some believe it's simply The remnants of a cooling tower

For the nearby power plant,

But others, like igor witkowski,

Fear this was for something Far more devastating

And perhaps even linked To a futuristic technology.

In the very center Of this valley,

We find such a strange structure Visible here.

It's a concrete ring, 32 meters in diameter

With very massive columns.

It was built In such a strong way,

With strong, thick Reinforcement rods,

With strong, thick Reinforcement rods,

That it is clear That it was built

To withstand Really great forces.

Narrator: igor believes This concrete circle

Was once a key part Of the nazis' plan

To take over the world.

I have found a similarity To test rings

Used in the modern times For testing helicopters,

Only this is much larger.

Then one may suspect that It might have been used

Then one may suspect that It might have been used

To test some really large Flying objects.

Narrator: this structure is Known as the henge.

But what could those secret Flying objects have been?

Bell: one possible theory as to The purpose of this site

Is that it was a test facility For the development

Of the germans' last great hope To win the war --

the wunderwaffe, or miracle weapon.

the wunderwaffe, or miracle weapon.

Narrator: some of their greatest Successes in this field

Came with The vengeance rocket program.

Corum: Quite a few will hit britain,

And they will cause 20,000 dead,

And they will cause A lot of devastation.

Narrator: but the germans were Working on all sorts

Of new, devastating ideas,

And there's a suggestion the Henge site was involved in this.

And there's a suggestion the Henge site was involved in this.

Gough: under the site, we see Long, dark, wet tunnels

That lead nowhere.

Now, we can't see where they go.

That's been all blocked off, But it cannot be a coincidence

They lie just below this weird Circular structure above ground.

*

Narrator: at first sight, There's little here to suggest

Narrator: at first sight, There's little here to suggest

They were anything other Than empty corridors,

But for those in the know, The devil is in the detail.

We are in one of the tunnels Connecting the power plant

With the underground complex Here,

And you have these niches here

Where the high-voltage Power cables were placed

One above the other,

And they give some idea about The size of the entire project,

And they give some idea about The size of the entire project,

And these cables are the size

Comparable with A high-voltage power line

That would power A medium-sized city.

Narrator: it's believed That further below,

The nazis took over A vast former mining network.

All these signs Of unusual secrecy

That we can see in this valley

Are only an introduction To the main part of the complex,

Are only an introduction To the main part of the complex,

Which is unaccessible today.

Narrator: so what were the nazis Developing underground,

And what kind of flying objects Might have been tested here?

*

Narrator: Deep in the countryside

Of southwestern poland Stands the henge.

One theory suggests That this was a test ring

For a new nazi secret weapon.

Around 1944, There were reports surfacing

Of these advanced flying objects Called foo fighters

Who were seen By the allied pilots --

These singular balls of light

These singular balls of light

That were streaking in the air Around the plane,

Only faster than the plane.

Narrator: it's been suggested That a top-secret technology

Called die glocke, or the bell, was being developed.

The aim was to create A new vertical takeoff machine,

And the henge was to be The final test site.

The theory of the bell Goes something like this --

Two large spinning discs Inside a cylindrical shell,

Two large spinning discs Inside a cylindrical shell,

And it was the spinning Of these discs,

Possibly fueled by some kind Of radioactive material,

That enabled the vertical lift.

Narrator: later, u.S. Military Tests of alternate aircraft

Never prove successful,

But had the nazis Ever cracked it?

The theory suggests This would have been a machine

Able to outmaneuver and outpace Anything in the world.

Able to outmaneuver and outpace Anything in the world.

We know for some time That there is a link

Between electromagnetism And gravity and antigravity,

But exploiting this New phenomenon would have been

Probably the greatest leap In human history

Because it would have Been something

That would have Changed the world.

Whether this was to be used In flying craft

Or flying bombs is unclear,

But it does make you wonder

If something extraordinary Was in the pipeline,

If something extraordinary Was in the pipeline,

And had it come to fruition,

Might the course of the war Have been different?

Narrator: the clues to such work Having taken place here

Are all but gone,

And as the nazis retreated At the end of the war,

They quickly covered Their tracks,

Sometimes in a brutal fashion.

The scientists working on This project here

Who might have have provided Some answers to our questions --

Who might have have provided Some answers to our questions --

They were killed just in case

To prevent the secret Of this place being revealed.

No matter what people say It was used for,

There is no denying The number of buildings,

The security rings, The trenches, and the fact

That it took an incredible Amount of effort to create this.

All this leads you To the conclusion

That something quite big Must have been going on here.

That something quite big Must have been going on here.

Narrator: today, all that Remains of the henge site

Are dark, walled-off tunnels

And this baffling Circular structure.

Witkowski: There is still a great mystery

Associated with this place That has not been clarified,

But in the very center of This mystery is this structure.

Narrator: On the east coast of china,

Near the heart of the city Of shanghai,

Near the heart of the city Of shanghai,

Is a building with a violent And bloody past life.

*

Gough: this is such An interesting building.

It's a huge concrete, Multi-story structure

Supported by pillars,

But it has all these Intricate lattice windows.

Somara: from the outside, The design of this building

Was obviously of real Importance to the community,

But on the inside, it actually Had a really sinister purpose.

But on the inside, it actually Had a really sinister purpose.

Narrator: Hidden behind the grand facade

Lies an experience Altogether unnerving.

Somara: it was almost like A maze of staircases and ramps

And structures.

Someone really thought hard About the design of this place.

Gough: there are sections That are completely isolated,

So whatever went on here

Couldn't see What's going on here.

I don't think anyone would guess In a million years

What it was originally used for.

Narrator: So what was the need for this

Confusing, brutalist structure,

Confusing, brutalist structure,

And to what traumatic end

Did these labyrinthine Passages lead?

While the corridors Of this building

Were once filled With the stench of death,

Its origins are entwined With the hopeful years

Of shanghai's expansion

During the decades ahead Of the second world war.

Dickrell: in the 1930s, Shanghai was the place to be.

It was referred to as The paris of the east.

It was referred to as The paris of the east.

Many foreigners keen To do business

Were flooding into the area.

Gough: It had a thriving port.

It had a industrial center,

And it was a magnet For businessmen

Who were looking for New ventures.

Narrator: With investment pouring in,

New towers were growing All across the booming city.

Man: Today, shanghai's skyline

Towers with The tallest buildings

Ever erected outside The united states.

Narrator: But this low-rise structure Is probably more intriguing

Than any of them...

...As patrick cranley, A local expert, can attest to.

It's a very complex building That reminds a lot of people

Of the work of an artist Called m.C. Escher

Who used Three-dimensional illusion

To create really fascinating Works of art.

You almost feel like you're Entering into an escher drawing.

You almost feel like you're Entering into an escher drawing.

You get disoriented, And then you get fascinated.

You want to figure out How the building works

And where all these ramps And stairways go.

Narrator: the convoluted layout Offers few clues

As to what the function Of this place was, but in fact,

This was all part of the grand Plan to keep the city alive.

*

So, with the second world war Appearing on the horizon,

So, with the second world war Appearing on the horizon,

What gruesome history might This beastly structure hold?

*

Narrator: as shanghai's Expansion continued

In the lead-up To the second world war,

This building was erected for A dark but necessary purpose.

Shanghai was the sixth-largest City in the world.

It had more than 3 million residents

And was growing quickly,

And the municipal authorities Were taking responsibility

For making this a modern city In many ways.

For making this a modern city In many ways.

Narrator: with its colossal size And opulent exterior,

This was clearly a building Of vital importance,

But maybe not In the way expected.

The design of this building Is very unusual

And really reflects both the Creative mind of the designer

And the purpose of the building,

Which was to slaughter animals.

This building is an abattoir.

It's where animals go to die

And where meat is produced For a huge populace.

And where meat is produced For a huge populace.

Narrator: this is The 1933 slaughterhouse.

But even on the inside,

This doesn't have the appearance Of a slaughterhouse.

So how did it work?

The design in very unusual In that it is a square,

And then inside a round area Where work was done.

Narrator: Linking the two areas together

Were a series of bridges, Ramps, and staircases.

Were a series of bridges, Ramps, and staircases.

The ramps were for The animals --

The cattle and the pigs --

And the stairways, obviously, For the humans.

Narrator: different floors were For different animals.

Gough: the outer area is where They would keep the animals.

The inner sanctum -- That was for the killing.

Narrator: Designed specifically

For the sole purpose Of slaughtering animals,

Everything in this building Was built around this goal.

Everything in this building Was built around this goal.

Dickrell: if you think about A slaughterhouse,

The smell was probably Very, very strong,

So the windows allowed Lots of air to pass through.

What was really fascinating Was the attention to detail,

So things like rough surfaces Of floors

To allow animals to walk,

Or hollowed-out walls For temperature control.

Narrator: But it wasn't just about

Keeping this place Light and breezy.

The other side of the design Was all about

The other side of the design Was all about

Dealing with death.

So, these pipes and this trough And the drains

Were all part of a system Of hygiene to drain the blood

And other fluids from The slaughtering of the animals.

Somara: these were all features That were thought about,

Specifically with the function Of the building in mind.

Narrator: the slaughterhouse Ran like clockwork.

Animals were brought up ramps To the required floor,

Kept in the large halls, Then were led across the bridges

Kept in the large halls, Then were led across the bridges

To the slaughter hall And into a cage.

The animal was killed By a bolt to the head,

And then the cage was tilted

So it would slide down Naturally to the floor

Where the butchers Would process the meat.

Narrator: from here, Their carcasses were hung

And transferred Into the chilling rooms.

This place was a finely tuned Killing machine

Able to process thousands Of animals each day.

Able to process thousands Of animals each day.

It was almost like a reverse Manufacturing process.

So rather than Assembling things,

It was designed to dissemble.

It's such a sinister function Of a space,

But in terms of efficiency, It's brilliant.

Narrator: but although the Process was well-thought-out,

There was always An ever-present danger.

Well, since a large number Of cattle

Were being processed Through the facility,

It was important To be able to provide

Safe zones for the workers

Safe zones for the workers

In case there was a large panic Amongst the cattle,

So the angular nature Of these ramps

Would prevent a large stampede

And allow refuge zones For the workers.

Narrator: while some dangers Could be prepared for,

Others couldn't.

A few years after The building was built,

Shanghai dramatically changed.

Narrator: in 1941, Japanese forces invaded

Narrator: in 1941, Japanese forces invaded

This part of the city,

And this place of death Became embroiled

In a different kind of killing.

So, this is a cement blockhouse

That was used During world war ii

To protect the canal That brought some of the animals

And other materials To this area.

So there would be machine guns Placed inside,

And they'd be protecting Both sides of the canal.

Narrator: while the slaughter Numbers were reduced

During those years,

When the war ended And the japanese left,

It appeared this place Had emerged unscathed.

Somara: in an occupied city During wartime,

The future of this building Was uncertain,

But because it was Such a well-designed building,

After the war, It continued to function

As it was designed for decades.

Narrator: Ultimately, though, in 2002,

The city outgrew The slaughterhouse

And operations were moved To the outskirts.

And operations were moved To the outskirts.

Having lived through war

And decades of condemning Animals to their deaths,

The slaughterhouse today Remains a beguiling structure.

Cranley: it could have been Just an afterthought

Without any aesthetic appeal,

But the designer used His creativity

To make something Very beautiful,

But it's purpose was Rather macabre --

That is, to slaughter animals.

That is, to slaughter animals.

*

Narrator: In the heart of france,

Almost 60 miles south of paris Near the town of chevilly,

Stands a fractured Concrete platform

Stretching out Far across the fields.

Miegs: when you see this rising Out of the countryside,

It looks modern and ancient At the same time,

Almost like it's some sort of A ruin from the future.

Almost like it's some sort of A ruin from the future.

Somara: It's this random structure

That looks like It's something industrial

Sitting in the middle Of the countryside,

And it just goes on For miles and miles.

Narrator: But this line isn't complete.

It makes absolutely no sense.

There are three separate Sections,

But yet they don't start or end In any particular place.

When you get closer to it,

When you get closer to it,

You see bits of concrete Crumbling off it,

And then there's This strange ridge

That runs through The center of it.

It seems almost "Blade runner"-esque,

But yet it's in The middle of nowhere

And clearly does nothing.

Narrator: So what was this built for,

And did it make it To its final destination?

Abandoned for decades, The history of this structure

Is marred by rumors Of sabotage and conspiracy,

Is marred by rumors Of sabotage and conspiracy,

But recently it's begun To attract some new admirers.

Interpreter: the structure Doesn't look like much now,

But in its day, It was the scene

Of a revolutionary project That was way ahead of its time.

Narrator: this was once A continuous track

Running 11 miles in length.

Interpreter: It was an extraordinary project,

And it has been A huge inspiration for us.

Today, we want to use The engineering of that time

Today, we want to use The engineering of that time

Along with today's technology

To create our own Transport revolution.

Narrator: but if this is linked To transportation,

Then what kind?

The answer can be found During a period

When engineers Were reaching for the stars.

Selwood: the '60s was An incredible period

For the burgeoning Of technology.

People were looking to The future in all sorts of ways.

There was the space race, Concorde.

Science blossomed.

Science blossomed.

Narrator: While it seemed the sky Was no longer the limit,

With this design, engineers were Keeping their ambitions

Closer to the ground.

The project was to reinvent Rail travel,

To replace the train With something much sleeker,

Must faster.

You would expect it To just be parallel tracks,

But what makes it really unusual

Is this ridge That runs along it,

Which kind of suggests That there was

Some kind of innovation Involved,

Some kind of innovation Involved,

Some new thinking.

Narrator: the remnants of that Adventurous new technology

Can be found In a nearby warehouse --

A strange, Futuristic-looking vehicle

That would slot onto The concrete ridge.

This route was to be a key step In a new way of travel.

This is the aérotrain Test track.

But was this really The ticket to the future,

But was this really The ticket to the future,

Or does its decrepit state Suggest

That someone or something Stood in its way?

*

Narrator: in rural france are The weathered remains

Of a futuristic transport Project from the 1960s,

But what was so revolutionary About this idea?

Man: It's an experimental aérotrain

Which set a world Speed record for trains,

Hitting 233 miles an hour.

The aérotrain was An incredibly ambitious project.

The idea was a train That would be powered

By a jet engine strapped to it.

By a jet engine strapped to it.

It ran on a cushion of air Instead of wheels.

You would pump air Under the body of the train,

And it would lift the train Off of the concrete track.

Somara: essentially, the Vehicles were flying, hovering.

All you need is A few millimeters of distance

Between the concrete structure And the vehicle.

That allowed Very, very low-friction travel,

Theoretically very high speeds.

Theoretically very high speeds.

Narrator: The idea was the brainchild Of engineer jean bertin,

And when his first prototype

Proved the theory worked In 1967,

He built the next version Purely for speed.

Selwood: initial testing was Extremely encouraging,

But what they knew They really needed to do

Was scale it up to the size Of a passenger train.

Narrator: But this wasn't the only issue.

Aérotrain had a new adversary To overcome.

The bigger problem was There was another project

The bigger problem was There was another project

In the pipeline -- The tgv high-speed train,

That in many ways was more Practical than the aérotrain.

Narrator: the state-owned tgv Was a serious contender,

And the pressure was mounting On jean bertin

To come up With something special.

The result was The aérotrain 180.

*

*

Former pilot daniel ermisse Recalls what it was like

Taking the latest aérotrain Out for a spin.

[ speaking french ]

Interpreter: As the pilot,

I entered the offices here To meet the test engineer,

Who'd then say to me, "This is the plan for today."

*

It was always such a joy.

Just after we started The engine,

The atmosphere Was pure excitement

The atmosphere Was pure excitement

Because we all knew we were About to travel extremely fast

And in absolute comfort.

Narrator: capable of carrying 80 passengers

And reaching speeds Of over 260 miles per hour,

It looked like The winning ticket.

Interpreter: The advantage is

The aérotrain weighed Only 20 tons.

If we compare that to the tgv That weighs 400 tons,

You see it accelerates Very quickly.

You see it accelerates Very quickly.

This place brings back memories.

I can still see myself On the track in the aérotrain.

*

*

Narrator: when the government Threw their weight

Behind the aérotrain,

It looked set to be the future Of high-speed travel in france,

And then possibly the world.

But seeing the few Remaining tracks today,

Something clearly Went dramatically wrong.

Something clearly Went dramatically wrong.

Miegs: Very innovative,

It's very elegant And cool-looking,

And yet it's also impractical In certain ways.

You have to ask yourself The question,

"Are wheels really Such a big problem?"

Narrator: when the french President died in 1974,

The new government Withdrew their support,

And the whole project collapsed.

The aérotrain suffered An even greater tragedy.

The aérotrain suffered An even greater tragedy.

Ermisse: [ speaking french ]

Interpreter: the sudden end Was a disaster for us,

But it was an absolute Catastrophe for jean bertin.

He began to suffer as soon as He knew the aérotrain was over.

We saw this man wither away,

And, unfortunately, He died a year later in 1975.

*

Narrator: ultimately, Tgv had won the race,

Narrator: ultimately, Tgv had won the race,

But some believe it wasn't Simply the government

Trying to save The state-owned network.

Other forces may have been At play.

Interpreter: Why was it stopped?

Because somebody Wanted it stopped.

*

Narrator: So was there a conspiracy Set against aérotrain,

And what unlikely disasters Still lay ahead?

*

Narrator: in the 1970s, The aérotrain had looked like

The future Of inter-city travel in france,

But all of a sudden, That dream disappeared.

Scientifically, it was proving To be a brand-new frontier

In the way we would travel,

And then in a few years, That just completely collapsed.

And then in a few years, That just completely collapsed.

Narrator: the debate over Whether there was a conspiracy

Against aérotrain was inflamed By a strange disaster in 1992,

When the local mayor announced Its reopening for tourism.

It was all very exciting, But then within a few days,

The hangar that was actually Housing the train burnt down.

What was very mysterious was,

This was actually the second Fire to have occurred.

[ camera shutter clicking ]

Interpreter: There is someone somewhere

Who really wanted this Over for good,

Who really wanted this Over for good,

So the aérotrain was Set on fire.

Coincidence?

Narrator: while the aérotrain Never got far off the ground,

This track may finally Have found a new lease of life

With a more modern project Called spacetrain.

Interpreter: spacetrain is A shuttle project --

A shuttle that is propelled to Around 500 kilometers per hour

On a cushion of air.

On a cushion of air.

The concept of aérotrain

Was very inspiring For our project, spacetrain.

This structure is In a very good condition.

We'd like to reuse it To do our first test.

Narrator: In the united kingdom,

In a wooded area 20 miles northeast of london

Lies an inconspicuous building Placed far from prying eyes.

Well, first impressions Of this site

Really are nothing surprising.

There's a bit Of an innocuous tower.

You've got a small house nearby,

But other than that, Nothing really untoward.

Nusbacher: even though It is well cared for,

You can just tell that no one Has ever called this place home.

Narrator: this small building, In fact, harbors a vast secret.

Narrator: this small building, In fact, harbors a vast secret.

Once you go through this Unobtrusive front entrance,

Now you realize that you are in A very large kind of operation.

You go into this long Underground tunnel

That leads into A big underground labyrinth.

Nusbacher: You can tell that somebody Wanted to come underground

And hide something very valuable From something very terrible.

And hide something very valuable From something very terrible.

This is clearly a place Someone has built out of fear.

Narrator: So what horrors drove people To build inside this hill,

And did disaster ever strike?

*

The roots of this structure Can be found buried deep

In the fear-ridden Early years of the cold war,

In the fear-ridden Early years of the cold war,

When the world had just entered The nuclear age.

1949, joseph stalin,

Who is one of the most ruthless, Brutal dictators of history,

Explodes an atomic bomb.

[ explosion ]

This takes the west by surprise,

And this changes The entire game.

President truman has announced

We must now alert The whole world to the peril

We must now alert The whole world to the peril

That this event Brings into being.

Narrator: with a growing fear Spreading throughout the world,

Facilities like this Sprung up across britain,

But they weren't just For hiding away in.

During the second world war,

Britain had a network of radar Stations to warn of nazi attack,

But once soviet nuclear attack Became a threat,

But once soviet nuclear attack Became a threat,

There was a hasty effort To build new ones.

Early warning becomes a top Priority during the cold war.

[ sirens wail ]

Man: that signal means to stop Whatever you are doing

And get to the nearest Safe place fast.

Those few minutes Of early warning

Might make the difference Between

An effective counterstrike,

Effective survival Of your forces,

Or some of your forces,

Or some of your forces,

And your national destruction.

Narrator: Built under a cloak of secrecy,

The new radar system, Named rotor,

Had a network of operation Centers across the country,

Including this one --

The kelvedon hatch Secret nuclear bunker.

But why was this disguised As a bungalow,

And how might it have become

The country's last hope For survival?

*

Narrator: near a small village Just outside of london,

An unlikely site was chosen For one of britain's

New early warning Secret control centers.

Corum: during The nuclear-weapons testing

In the late 1940s, early 1950s,

They realized that Everything above ground --

Even a small nuclear weapon Would just devastate everything.

Even a small nuclear weapon Would just devastate everything.

It's all gone.

However, people could survive If they're underground.

Jerram: the location itself Was somewhat strategic

Because there was An r.A.F. Base nearby,

But also the nature Of the rock was important

Because instead of being on soft Material like the london clay,

This was actually Under much harder bedrock.

Narrator: Covered in 15 feet of topsoil,

The outer layer of the bunker Is a faraday cage

The outer layer of the bunker Is a faraday cage

To protect it From an electromagnetic pulse.

Inside that is a brick skin,

A 10-foot-thick concrete wall,

And three fully operational Floors.

A 120-yard tunnel leads out To the entrance,

Masquerading as A small countryside bungalow.

Jerram: this was a colossal Construction --

27,000 square feet of area, Completely hidden,

And there's about 40,000 tons of concrete

And there's about 40,000 tons of concrete

That were used to construct The whole thing --

A real engineering marvel.

Nusbacher: Everyone knew in the '50s

That there were Russian spies everywhere,

And that meant that it was Impossible to keep it a secret

That there were command bunkers All over the country,

But nobody knew exactly where Those bunkers were located.

Narrator: Now owned by mike parrish,

The farmer whose land This sits on,

He's become the expert On the site

And knows Its imminent-attack protocol.

We've now got the blast doors Here which, once they're shut,

Well, everybody will be in here For at least three months.

*

Narrator: the bunker could Support up to 600 inhabitants,

Narrator: the bunker could Support up to 600 inhabitants,

And once locked inside,

It was these machines That kept the radiation out.

Parrish: the air would normally Flow into this fan here,

Which would just pump it Straight into the bunker,

But if it had become Contaminated,

Then they'd switch that one off

And switch the one Over there on,

Which would, in theory, Filter all the nasty things out

Before it actually got inside The bunker itself.

So, actually, this is What's keeping us all alive.

Narrator: But while the completed bunker

Functioned as planned,

The wider rotor network Soon had a problem.

The wider rotor network Soon had a problem.

Jerram: built in less than A year -- very, very quick --

But interestingly, as well, In such a short time

The way that the radars Were changing,

It became fairly redundant Quite quickly.

Narrator: Within only a few years,

There was no longer a need For these rotor control centers,

But with its proximity to london And the central government,

This site would soon have

A potentially far more Important role to play.

All major powers During the cold war

All major powers During the cold war

Developed large underground Bunkers, facilities,

That were survivable In case of nuclear attack,

And that was to preserve And protect the government.

If everything goes wrong, Here is a way, at least,

That they can maintain Some kind of control

Even in a devastated country Afterwards.

Narrator: around the mid-1980s, Britain had a new network

Of regional Government headquarters,

Of regional Government headquarters,

Many of which utilized The former rotor bunkers.

The british government was Going to briefly disintegrate

When a nuclear attack happened,

And all of the cabinet members

Would be assigned a different Region of the country

Where they would go and, As a minister of the crown,

Would be the most senior person For miles around.

Would be the most senior person For miles around.

In this worst-case scenario, This facility is near london.

It would have protected several Hundred of the key personnel

And enabled them To live for weeks.

Narrator: With telecommunications linking

This site to other Regional headquarters

And a bbc broadcasting suite to Speak to those on the outside,

The officer in charge Would play a vital role

In coordinating The nation's recovery.

In coordinating The nation's recovery.

But first, the population Had to be reassured

There was a real chance Of survival.

It was important to government Not to let people know

Just how bad the effects Of nuclear war --

Thermonuclear war -- Would be.

They were afraid that if people Really knew what would happen,

They would lose hope.

Narrator: governments around The world issued advice

Narrator: governments around The world issued advice

On what to do In the event of catastrophe,

Offering some faint hope To cling to.

But had the bombs ever been Dropped,

It would have been in rooms Like this

That the real fight for survival Would have played out.

They would be able to plot it On these cold perspex here.

The red ones were ground bursts.

They produced a lot of radiation 'cause they picked the dirt up,

And that's what the threat was

'cause radiation Is carried on dust.

'cause radiation Is carried on dust.

There'd be people the other side There who would be able to

Write backwards describing Where the radiation is flowing,

So all the time that information Was fed upstairs

So that they'd be able To deploy buses and coaches

To move the population Out of the way of the radiation,

If that was indeed possible.

Narrator: if called into action, The fate of the population

Would have been in the hands Of those working in here.

I suspect they would have been Very professional

And they would have got on With the job,

But I know if I was down here

But I know if I was down here

And I knew my family Was at great risk

And the whole world Was about to fall apart,

My mind wouldn't be 100% On crayoning in

Which way The wind was blowing.

Narrator: primed and ready For action for decades,

Ultimately, the site Was never called upon,

And when the threat level Dropped,

The bunker was decommissioned.

With britain never suffering A nuclear attack,

Today this site might appear Like the embodiment

Today this site might appear Like the embodiment

Of cold war paranoia,

But was it?

I don't believe in using The term "Paranoia"

When we're talking about The cold war

Because paranoia indicates An irrational fear.

And when you're talking about The soviet union

And joseph stalin,

You're talking about completely Sensible, rational fears.

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