Disused Blitz-era tunnels beneath central London are set to be transformed into the UK’s first dedicated spy museum. The tunnels under High Holborn - once home to Winston Churchill’s wartime spy network SOE (the Special Operations Executive) and the workplace of James Bond author, Ian Fleming - are set to welcome visitors by 2028. Immersive exhibits will chart British espionage from WWII (with special focus on the SOE) through to contemporary counterterrorism. 

The tunnels were built during the Blitz (1940–42) to offer Londoners shelter. They were later repurposed by Churchill, and then used for Cold War communications. They stretch across 8,000 m², with the original wartime bunks, Cold War-era infrastructure, and even the deepest licenced bar in London still intact. 

Angus Murray, CEO of The London Tunnels, the organisation behind the museum, states the museum will provide access to an “important and unique collection which has until now been largely hidden”.

“The tunnels, built and designed to protect Londoners during the Blitz, are the ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable, and untold, stories of the men and women who played a vital role in protecting Britain then, and the role of the armed services protecting Britain today,” he explained. 

Spy artefacts are a source of great fascination for the public, as evidenced by the popularity of the Spyscape museum in New York, and the strong prices we see at auction for spy gadgets, such as Cold War-era secret cameras. As such, we believe this exciting new venture will prove a success.