Churchill Bunker open to the public. It's been hidden for decades

Uworld War II bunker had built under the orders of then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill opened to the public for the first time.

Located four metres deep in the famous Dover White Cliffs on the southeast coast of England, Winston Churchill’s underground planning room – which played a key role in defense during World War II – remained a secret for decades.

The bunker was built in 1940 and housed some of the most advanced military technologies of the time, including the first terrestrial computer-assisted acquisition and targeting system. 

It also served to coordinate the artillery that defended the Dover Strait from the German bombings, launched from occupied France, located about 34 kilometres away, reports The Telegraph. 

After the war, the secret site was abandoned and its entry was eventually covered with land in the 1970s. It was rediscovered in 2017 and became the subject of research and conservation work by the National Trust. 

According to Jon Barker, who led the excavation project on behalf of the National Trust, this system functioned as the “brain” of an artillery battery used to defend Dover and attack German ships crossing the English Channel.

Barker was the first person to enter the shelter when it was rediscovered, recalling that “it was a moment similar to the discovery of Tutankhamon’s tomb for an archaeologist specializing in military conflicts.”.

“ We had carried out all this investigation into the people who had served there and suddenly we met inside their office. It was an exciting moment”, he recalled.