Walthamstow Town Hall in Greater London has a bunker in its basement that was used as civil defence headquarters during World War 2 and later on upgraded in the Cold War for use as a civil defence bunker.
Walthamstow Town Hall in Greater London has a bunker in its basement that was used as civil defence headquarters during World War 2 and later on upgraded in the Cold War for use as a civil defence bunker.
Following the end of the Cold War, with there no longer being a legal duty to have a Civil Defence control centre protected against blast and radiation fallout, the Council had the bunker cleared of equipment and facilities to cater for the needs of staff to operate it as a control centre.
The rooms are now used as the post room for the Town Hall, storerooms, and other purposes. Cold War features remaining are blast proof doors, and blast proof air pressure valves. Visits for the public, through the basement corridor, are part of an occasional tour of the Town Hall building itself. During the basement tour, visitors are shown the blast proof doors and valves.
Escape shafts from the former Cold War bunker have now been filled in, and access to the basement now has access control systems in place to prevent unauthorised entry.
At one time the bunker acted as the Flood Control Centre for northeast London, prior to the River Thames Barrier being built.
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