SECRET UNDERGROUND TELEPHONE EXCHANGES

A series of government reports circulated in the early and mid 1950s highlighted the fragility of Britain's existing telephone network as the weakest element in her nuclear defence system. Both government defence communications and communications between remote stations and Operations Centres on the newly developed ROTOR radar system depended upon this network of vulnerable, pre-war landline cables. Most of these trunk cables passed through the centres of large cities which would be likely targets for nuclear bombs and missiles.
To partially rectify this system new diversionary cables were laid to circumvent the target conurbations and eight new bomb-proof semi-underground repeater stations were built at the nodes of this new system. The PR2 station at Warmley, near Bristol, illustrated on this page, is a typical example.

Similarly, absolutely bomb-proof telephone exchanges were built 100 feet below the centres of London, Birmingham and Manchester to help maintain post-attack essential communications. Sections of the power supply switchroom and main cable links to the government Whitehall deep level tube system at the London 'Kingsway' exchange are also shown.

Left and below: Kingsway Underground Telephone Exchange

Photos: Nick Catford