Underground RAF Bunker Tours

The guardroom is really all that can now be seen on the surface at Holmpton as the main building is some distance underground and covers about 26,000sq ft. (about the size of a supermarket or cinema). The original Radar Station has long since gone, leaving behind just 31 acres of green fields and a few small buildings. For years this place has remained a secret even in the local area, where most people simply did not know of the existence or purpose of such a substantial facility. Just one or two of them may have worked here but even today they 'cannot' tell their story.

Building started at Holmpton in 1951 and the bunker opened in 1954 serving until 1975 as an RAF Master Radar Station. In 1985 it was massively refurbished to form a new RAF Headquarters and closed in 1991 with the ending of the Cold War.

In 2003 RAF Holmpton became the home of a specialist archive unit holding records of all Cold War Underground estabilshments built in the UK between 1945 and the present day. As the archive provides a public reading room it was decided to open up much of the bunker for public tours, and these started in 2004 with regular updates each year.

Visitors can now go on a fully guided tour of this vast underground command centre, visiting the many rooms, plant and operational areas that make up this truly amazing headquarters. This is your chance to see at first hand how the RAF would have operated underground during the Cold War. Demonstrations, exhibitions and dramatic shows re-create the atmosphere and the centrepiece of the tour is the newly refurbished Radar Operations Room with its own dramatic multi-visual presentation.

Visitors should be aware of: Some quite long walks - Three staircases - No wheelchair access at present - Entirely underground - Not suitable for children under 5yrs.

No smoking throughout - WC's - Cafe - Large Free Car Park - Coach Park - Shop.

Visitor restrictions may apply,(Bunker is still a working environment)