Hidden away in the Cambridgeshire countryside lies a bunker that was once a hub for secret Cold War spy missions.
While the thought of apocalyptic bunkers would have sparked images of Doomsday preppers pre-pandemic, they’ve now become big business.
Fast forward to 2024 with devastating wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East,billionaires like Facebook mogul Mark Zuckerberg are rushing to kit their homes with luxury bunkers.
Peter Thiel, the controversial co-founder of PayPal, wants to build his own on New Zealand’s South Island but his plans were rejected.
During the Cold War, nuke-proof bunkers made even more sense.
Built in 1988, the ‘Magic Mountain’ bunker at the former RAF Alconbury base in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, boasts blast-proof corridors and an escape tunnel.
At a cost of £50,000,000, it was was made of steel and reinforced concrete to endure a possible nuclear attack during the uncertain times.
The site was an active airbase between 1938 and 1995, housing both American and British troops over the years.
The sturdy bunker survived an air raid by the Nazi Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
Top secret tech billionaire's bunker
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta, has dished out a whopping $270 million on his luxury compound with a bunker.
The 5,000 square-foot bunker on the island of Kauai is said to be self-sufficient when ready – its own energy, water and food sources.
But its construction is top secret, with workers reportedly forced to sign Non Disclosure Agreements.
Zuckerberg’s two main mansions will be joined by a tunnel that leads into theunderground shelter with a living space, a mechanical room and an escape hatch, Wired reported.
Later, together with the nearby RAF Molesworth, it was for US army’s secret intelligence gathering operations and reconnaissance flights.
To make the bunker extra secure, blast proof guillotine doors divide the corridors.
Pilots would take off layers off clothing at each door before reaching the decontamination showers, Rebecca Britton, project manager with developer Urban & Civic explained on video tour of the mysterious site.
Located deep within the bunker are the power plant and communications hub.
They enable life in the bunker even after an explosion, including an air flow system to push out contaminants from the outside world.
The escape route, known as ‘a dead man’s hatch’, at the very back of a briefing room was the way out in the case an enemy had entered the bunker.
The site was earmarked to become a rail and freight terminal before it was bought in 2009, The Sun said.
Restoring the site took almost a year, Britton said.
The surrounding features such as the watchtower and areas damaged by bomb explosions needed restoring, the outlet reported.
Now more than 6,000 homes have been built as part of the new Alconbury Weald estate, with the airport runway turned into a planted area for residents to enjoy.
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