Preserving history and creating a new, unique cultural experience.

The London Tunnels is embarking on a journey to preserve and transform a mile-long series of tunnels that have been kept secret for nearly 70 years.

The Kingsway Exchange tunnels — located deep below Chancery Lane tube station — offers a journey through London’s role in world history.

Opening to the public for the first time, we will bring to life the history of the tunnels through experiences that inspire exploration and imagination. We want to honour and preserve the past, from exploring the challenges faced during the Blitz, to the telephone exchange that connected the Cold War 'hotline' between The White House and the Kremlin.

Help us shape the experience by taking part in our consultation.

Vision

Creating experiences worthy of the stories they aim to tell.

The London Tunnels experience would be curated by partnerships with leading names in entertainment and technology, to inspire exploration and imagination. It would become the destination for engaging stories about the capital, and its people throughout the 20th century.

Imagine being able to walk in the tunnels, built by the British in the 1940s and designed to protect Londoners during the Blitz. Envisage what it was like for past generations to have lived through this period of time, and the courage shown by the British people.

With their vast scale and long corridors, there is an opportunity to not only restore but recreate; allowing visitors to experience something truly unique, and to explore broader topics across the arts, nature and sciences.

Descend 40 metres below the streets of London.

This artist’s impression takes visitors back in time to the Blitz, where a visual timeline reveals the tunnels’ dynamic past.

The real-life ‘Q Branch’.

It is believed that the tunnels became the real-life location that inspired ‘Q Branch’ in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, with the author having been posted there as the Admiralty’s liaison officer during the 1950s.

At the start of the Cold War, the tunnels were dramatically enlarged by the British Government to serve as a secure and secret, long-distance telephone exchange. The site operated the first Transatlantic telephone cable, TAT-1 — the ‘hotline’ between The White House and the Kremlin.

Many fascinating artefacts remain present in the tunnels, which we intend to carefully restore and showcase to the public for the first time. We envision visitors learning about the covert goings-on in 1950s-60s metropolitan London — by taking a phone call from Ian Fleming, eavesdropping on Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, and taking control of the Special Operations Executive command.

Learn More Download our History Book

London’s deepest licensed bar.

The London Tunnels could see the resurrection of Britain’s ‘deepest licensed bar’. Imagine feeling the London Underground thundering directly above you, where ‘shaken, not stirred’ Vesper Martinis could be served 40 metres below ground.

Proposal

An unparalleled project in Central London.

The history of the tunnels, along with their scale and location at the intersection of London’s West End and the historic Square Mile, could make them one of the most exciting destinations globally. They could also play a key part in helping further bolster the capital’s cultural and heritage offer, attracting up to two million people each year.

Our ambition for
The London Tunnels:

1 Preserving the Kingsway Exchange tunnels and the part they played in history, by giving them a renewed sense of public purpose.

2 Capturing people’s imaginations around the world, while respecting those who live and work in the neighbourhood.

3 Delivering tangible economic benefits to an area still recovering from the Pandemic.

4 Ensuring that The London Tunnels can be an experience shared by people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

Learn More Download our Consultation Pack

We have undertaken detailed digital mapping of the tunnels, to capture the site exactly as it was left when it was last occupied in the late 20th century.

Who we are

Working with local stakeholders and residents to make this a reality.

The London Tunnels team is a group of investment specialists with a proven track record across a wide investment portfolio, including delivering sustainable conservation projects.

We are working with a wider project team with expertise across the arts, technology, architecture and business to create an experience, which protects the heritage of the tunnels with a future purpose.

The project team includes one of Britain’s leading architectural firms, WilkinsonEyre, the practice behind the major restoration and repurposing of London’s ‘Battersea Power Station’ and ambitious ‘Gardens by the Bay’ in Singapore.

“Our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their economic circumstances, can enjoy this unique experience...

As such, we are committed to offering free tickets to school children and setting up a daily ballot for complimentary tickets. We now wish to work with local stakeholders and residents to make this a reality and look forward to hearing their thoughts as we finalise a planning application.”

Angus Murray,
Chief Executive of
The London Tunnels Ltd