Central Government War Headquarters

From Underfoot




The Central Government War Headquarters (CGWHQ) is a 35-acre (14 ha) complex built 120 feet (37 m) underground as the United Kingdom's emergency government war headquarters – the hub of the country's alternative seat of power outside London during a nuclear war or conflict with the Soviet Union. It is in Corsham, Wiltshire, in a former Bath stone quarry known as Spring Quarry, under the present-day MoD Corsham. In 1940, during the Second World War, the site was acquired by the Minister of Aircraft Production and used as an underground engine factory. The war headquarters was commissioned in 1955, after approval by Prime Minister Anthony Eden. However, it became outdated shortly after it was built, due to intercontinental ballistic missiles being able to target it, and the formulation of other plans. Nevertheless, the complex continued to have a role in war plans and remained in operation for 30 years.

Wikimedia, Wikidata
Burlington; Chanticleer; Corsham; Peripheral; Site 3; Stockwell; Subterfuge; Turnstile
underground infrastructure system, alternative seat of government, underground city, United Kingdom, 


Location: 51.42, -2.22, KML, Cluster Map, Maps,
72 places
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  • Bedminster Sub Control ⓘ
    civil defence centre in Bristol, UK
  • Bristol Royal Observer Corps Group Headquarters ⓘ
    British Cold War command centre in Gloucestershire, England, UK
  • Lansdown Anti-Aircraft Operations Room ⓘ
    British air defence bunker
  • RAF Rudloe Manor ⓘ
    former Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England
  • Bristol War Room ⓘ
    regional war room in Bristol, England, UK
  • Balch Cave ⓘ
    Cave in Somerset, England
  • Goldney Hall Grotto ⓘ
    Grade I listed building in the United Kingdom
  • Grotto And Screen Wall, About 100 Metres To The South West Of Farleigh Castle ⓘ
    grotto in Norton St. Philip, Mendip, Somerset, England, UK
  • Grotto Approx 30M N Of Lower Lodge To Prior Park ⓘ
    grotto in Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset, England, UK
  • Grotto Below South Terrace At Crowe Hall ⓘ
    grotto in Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset, England, UK
  • Grotto In Grounds Of Copper Beeches (No 82 Victoria Road) ⓘ
    grotto in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, UK
  • Grotto In Grounds Of The Bath Spa Hotel Approx. 40M To The West ⓘ
    grotto in Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset, England, UK
  • Grotto, 150 Yards To South Of Claverton Manor ⓘ
    grotto in Claverton, Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset, England, UK
  • Grottoes, 350 Metres South West Of Rear Of The Chantry ⓘ
    grotto in Whatley, Mendip, England, UK
  • Grottos To West Of Warmley House ⓘ
    grotto in Siston, South Gloucestershire, England, UK
  • Hillier's Cave ⓘ
    Cave in Somerset, England
  • Pen Park Hole ⓘ
    cave in the UK
  • Shatter Cave ⓘ
    cave in Somerset, England
  • Stoke Lane Slocker ⓘ
    limestone cave in Somerset, England
  • W/L Cave ⓘ
    cave in Somerset, England
  • Barnhill Quarry ⓘ
    Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England
  • Box Mine ⓘ
    mine in the United Kingdom
  • Brandy Bottom Colliery ⓘ
    coal mine in Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, England, UK
  • Brinkmarsh Quarry ⓘ
    Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England
  • Cattybrook Brickpit ⓘ
    former brickpit and SSSI in South Gloucestershire, UK
  • Cloud Quarry ⓘ
    Disused quarry in Somerset, England
  • Colemans Quarry ⓘ
    Limestone quarry in Somerset, England
  • Cullimore's Quarry ⓘ
    Site of Special Scientific Interest in South Gloucestershire
  • Fairy Cave Quarry ⓘ
    disused quarry in Somerset, England
  • Gurney Slade quarry ⓘ
    Limestone quarry in Somerset, England
  • Hawkesbury Quarry ⓘ
    Geological site
  • Holwell Quarries ⓘ
    Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, England
  • Parkfield Colliery ⓘ
    former coal mine in South Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
  • Quarry Steps, Durdham Down ⓘ
    quarry in the UK
  • Ram Hill Colliery ⓘ
    coal mine in the UK
  • Ram Hill Colliery and dramway ⓘ
    coal mine in Westerleigh, Gloucestershire, England, UK
  • Seend Cleeve Quarry ⓘ
    Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, England
  • Seend Ironstone Quarry and Road Cutting ⓘ
    Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, England
  • Siston Hill Colliery ⓘ
    coal mine in the UK
  • Slickstones Quarry, Cromhall ⓘ
    Gloucestershire quarry
  • Stanton St. Quintin Quarry and Motorway Cutting ⓘ
    Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, England
  • Torr Works ⓘ
    Limestone quarry in Somerset, England
  • Tytherington Quarry ⓘ
    Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire
  • Vobster Breach colliery, 890m ENE of Tweed Farm ⓘ
    coal mine in Leigh upon Mendip, Somerset, England, UK
  • Westbury Ironstone Quarry ⓘ
    Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, England
  • Whatley Quarry ⓘ
    limestone quarry
  • Whatley quarry, Somerset ⓘ
    quarry in the UK
  • Pensford Colliery ⓘ
    Coal Mine on the Somerset Coalfield
  • Gripwood Quarry ⓘ
    Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, England
  • Radstock Museum ⓘ
    museum in Radstock, Somerset, United Kingdom
  • Museum of Bath Stone ⓘ
    museum in Bath, England, UK
  • Alderton Tunnel ⓘ
    Railway tunnel
  • Bathwick Covered Way (MLN1/106 24 & 106 29) ⓘ
    architectural structure in Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset, England, UK
  • Bradford Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Chilcompton Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Chipping Sodbury Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Combe Down Tunnel ⓘ
    defunct railway tunnel
  • Combe Hay Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Devonshire Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Fox's Wood Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in Bristol, England, UK
  • Grovesend Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Kennet and Avon Canal Tunnel (under Beckford Road) ⓘ
    Grade II* listed canal tunnel in Bath, Somerset, England, UK
  • Kennet and Avon Canal Tunnel (under Cleveland House and Sydney Road) ⓘ
    Grade II* listed canal tunnel in Bath, Somerset, England, UK
  • Middlehill Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel near Box, Wiltshire, England
  • Northern Stormwater Interceptor, Bristol ⓘ
    Storm drain in Bristol, England
  • Redcliffe Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Saltford Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • St Anne's Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in City of Bristol, South West England, England, UK
  • Staple Hill Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Twerton Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Twerton Wood Tunnel ⓘ
    railway tunnel in the UK
  • Box Tunnel ⓘ
    English railway tunnel
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1909 — 1955 Pensford Colliery
1987-01-01T00:00:00Z
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1989-01-01T00:00:00Z
1989-01-01T00:00:00Z
2013-01-01T00:00:00Z
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TypeSubtypeDateDescriptionNotesSource
classbunkerCentral Government War Headquartersunderground city, underground infrastructure system, alternative seat of governmentWikidata
linkpageSubterranea page@issue 19Wikidata
linkpageSubterranea Britannica page@Wikidata
sitebunkerBedminster Sub ControlBristol City Council, civil defense centerWikidata
sitebunkerBristol Royal Observer Corps Group Headquartersbunker, Royal Observer Corps, Royal Observer Corps Sector Headquarters, Royal Observer Corps Group HeadquartersWikidata
sitebunkerLansdown Anti-Aircraft Operations RoomRoyal Air Force, bunkerWikidata
sitebunkerRAF Rudloe Manorair base, Royal Air Force station, Royal Air Force, bunkerWikidata
sitebunker1950Bristol War RoombunkerWikidata
sitecaveBalch CavecaveWikidata
sitecaveGoldney Hall GrottogrottoWikidata
sitecaveGrotto And Screen Wall, About 100 Metres To The South West Of Farleigh CastlegrottoWikidata
sitecaveGrotto Approx 30M N Of Lower Lodge To Prior ParkgrottoWikidata
sitecaveGrotto Below South Terrace At Crowe HallgrottoWikidata
sitecaveGrotto In Grounds Of Copper Beeches (No 82 Victoria Road)grottoWikidata
sitecaveGrotto In Grounds Of The Bath Spa Hotel Approx. 40M To The WestgrottoWikidata
sitecaveGrotto, 150 Yards To South Of Claverton ManorgrottoWikidata
sitecaveGrottoes, 350 Metres South West Of Rear Of The ChantrygrottoWikidata
sitecaveGrottos To West Of Warmley HousegrottoWikidata
sitecaveHillier's CavecaveWikidata
sitecavePen Park HolecaveWikidata
sitecaveShatter CavecaveWikidata
sitecaveStoke Lane SlockercaveWikidata
sitecaveW/L CavecaveWikidata
sitemineBarnhill QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineBox Minestone quarryWikidata
sitemineBrandy Bottom Collierycoal mineWikidata
sitemineBrinkmarsh QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineCattybrook BrickpitSite of Special Scientific Interest, brickworks, clay pitWikidata
sitemineCloud QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineColemans QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineCullimore's QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineFairy Cave QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineGurney Slade quarryquarryWikidata
sitemineHawkesbury QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineHolwell QuarriesquarryWikidata
sitemineParkfield Collierycoal mineWikidata
sitemineQuarry Steps, Durdham DownquarryWikidata
sitemineRam Hill Collierycoal mineWikidata
sitemineRam Hill Colliery and dramwaycoal mineWikidata
sitemineSeend Cleeve QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineSeend Ironstone Quarry and Road CuttingquarryWikidata
sitemineSiston Hill Collierycoal mineWikidata
sitemineSlickstones Quarry, Cromhallpaleontological site, quarryWikidata
sitemineStanton St. Quintin Quarry and Motorway CuttingquarryWikidata
sitemineTorr WorksquarryWikidata
sitemineTytherington QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineVobster Breach colliery, 890m ENE of Tweed Farmcoal mineWikidata
sitemineWestbury Ironstone QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineWhatley QuarryquarryWikidata
sitemineWhatley quarry, SomersetquarryWikidata
sitemine1909Pensford Collierycoal mineWikidata
sitemine1987Gripwood Quarryquarry, protected areaWikidata
sitemuseum1989Radstock Museumlocal museum, local authority museum, mining museumWikidata
sitemuseum2013Museum of Bath Stoneindependent museum, mining museumWikidata
sitetunnelAlderton Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelBathwick Covered Way (MLN1/106 24 & 106 29)railway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelBradford Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelChilcompton Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelChipping Sodbury Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelCombe Down Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelCombe Hay Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelDevonshire Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelFox's Wood Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelGrovesend Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelKennet and Avon Canal Tunnel (under Beckford Road)canal tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelKennet and Avon Canal Tunnel (under Cleveland House and Sydney Road)canal tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelMiddlehill Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelNorthern Stormwater Interceptor, BristoltunnelWikidata
sitetunnelRedcliffe Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelSaltford Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelSt Anne's Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelStaple Hill Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelTwerton Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnelTwerton Wood Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
sitetunnel1841Box Tunnelrailway tunnelWikidata
commonsimageGpo exchange burlington Commons
commonsimageGpo exchange burlington Commons
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