Transport for London
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Secret London under your feet
Walking around the Capital, you may not realise there is so much history buried beneath the pavement.
Here are some of the secret sights hidden from view, and how best to get to them.
Churchill War Rooms
Step back in time and explore the bunker where Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet met to plot the country's course to victory in World War II. Walk in his footsteps and get a glimpse of what life was like during those many tense days and nights. The rooms opened to the public in 1984 and a dedicated Churchill Museum was added in 2005.
How to get there: On the edge of St James's Park, Westminster is the nearest Tube station. Buses 148 and 211 are among the many that stop nearby.
Clapham South subterranean shelter
Eight deep-level air raid shelters were built beneath some of London's Underground stations during the Second World War to provide shelter from the bombing. Each one was designed to hold around 8,000 people. Find them at Chancery Lane, Belsize Park, Camden Town, Goodge Street, Stockwell, Clapham North, Clapham Common and Clapham South.
How to get there: Clapham South is on the Northern line. London Transport Museum occasionally organises tours of the deep-level shelter but be warned - they sell out fast. Check www.ltmuseum.co.uk
Kingsway telephone exchange
Chancery Lane Tube station also hides some wartime secrets. The deep-level shelter and an extensive network of tunnels were used as a government communications centre in the Second World War. Later, it became a storage space for the Public Records Office and was ultimately bought by BT and became the Kingsway Telephone Exchange. The tunnels have been disused since the 1980s and are occasionally open for private tours.
How to get there: There are two entrances: one on High Holborn, midway between Holborn and Chancery Lane Tube stations (Piccadilly and Central lines), and a goods lift entrance on nearby Furnival Street.
Freemasons' Hall
Although not underground, this is another location you may well have walked past many times and never realised it was there. Look out for an art deco building in Covent Garden and you have found the United Grand Lodge of England. Built between 1927 and 1932, it is home to the Freemasons' Hall. The Grand Temple hosts Masonic Lodges from across the country and has an ornate and interesting interior. Free tours are held throughout the week.
How to get there: It is a five-minute walk from either Covent Garden or Holborn Tube stations (Piccadilly and Central lines).
