Beneath a derelict plot in Camberwell, south London, lies a Cold War-era nuclear bunker for VIP guests (Pictures: MyLondon/BPM Media)
Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine that no one believed was possible has left people wondering if he would press the nuclear button in a near-suicidal mission.
Such a threat – which appears increasingly less theoretical after Russia’s leader put his nuclear forces on ‘special’ alert – has left many googling where the nearest bunker is.
And for south London residents of Camberwell, that would be beneath a derelict plot, at the intersection of Peckham Road and Vestry Road.
The Cold War-era hideout was intended to keep local government running in the event of a nuclear disaster.
But it closed in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union – only for interest in it to pique again since the start of the Russian invasion.
Instead of armoured, secure walls that could protect against heavy gunfire and shelling, photographs of the south London bunker reveal something different.
After years of neglect, it now looks more like a derelict squat used for the dumping of old motorcycles and other trash.
After years of neglect, the bunker now looks more like a derelict squat (Picture: MyLondon/BPM Media)
Local artist John Chaple, 62, who knows the site well, revealed the bunker had recently been flooded (Picture: MyLondon/BPM Media)
The Cold War-era hideout was built to keep local government running in the event of a nuclear attack (Picture: MyLondon/BPM Media)
The walls are covered in tree roots, with much of the original plaster cracked and peeling off, while its old toilets – not cleaned for decades – exude a pungent smell.
Most importantly, however, the dilapidated underground hole would be useless against Russia’s 800 kiloton warheads, experts warn.
It would also not be much better than the London Underground system.
Andrew Futter, a professor of international politics at the University of Leicester and an expert in nuclear politics, said: ‘In theory you could go into the Underground and go as deep as you could and you’d have to think about taking enough supplies – food and water for one or two weeks.
But the reality is this would depend on how much time you had. You probably wouldn’t get much of a warning.’
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Local artist John Chaple, 62, who knows the site well, also revealed the bunker had recently been flooded.
Water marks could be seen well above head height and there was still around 10cm of murky liquid on the ground.
Among the debris are typewriters, a vacuum cleaner, phone books, coat hangers, and a map of London left untouched since the 1990s, but they are all destroyed by water damage.
Built in a time of great fear, the nuclear bunker represents an important piece of history for Camberwell, activists argue.
They are hoping to turn it into a community space which will allow people to learn about its history and for exhibiting art with political, protest or dissident content.
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https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/21/london-inside-camberwells-abandoned-vip-nuclear-bunker-16317291/
