Kingsway telephone exchange, Cold War telephone exchange under High Holborn, London, United Kingdom
The Kingsway facility consists of two main tunnels located 100 feet below ground between Hatton Garden and Red Lion Square in central London.
Built as an air raid shelter in the 1940s, the General Post Office converted the structure into a telephone exchange, opening for operations in October 1954.
The underground complex influenced literature, featuring in novels such as Ian Fleming's Casino Royale and James Herbert's Domain as a symbol of Cold War infrastructure.
The facility contained a staff restaurant, tea bar, games room, and a bar situated 200 feet below street level for its 200 engineering employees.
The exchange served as the United Kingdom termination point for TAT-1, the first transatlantic telephone cable system connecting North America with Europe.
Location: City of London
GPS coordinates: 51.51800,-0.11050
Latest update: March 10, 2025 17:01
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