Battle of Britain Bunker

Over het museum

The Battle of Britain Bunker is the underground operations room that served No. 11 Group of RAF Fighter Command at RAF Uxbridge in west London. It lies about 18 metres below ground on two levels. From here controllers directed the fighter squadrons defending south-east England throughout the Second World War, above all during the summer and autumn of 1940.

The Operations Room, with its large plotting table, squadron display boards and weather and balloon state indicators, has been kept as it was on 15 September 1940, when Winston Churchill watched the plotters and controllers at work and paid his famous tribute to the pilots of Fighter Command.

The site is run by Hillingdon Council as a heritage attraction. A museum has existed here since the 1980s, and the present visitor centre, a two-level building of about 2,000 square metres, opened in 2018. Its exhibition traces the development of Britain's air defence system from the First World War to the end of the Second World War, using aircraft wreckage, uniforms and communications equipment, a replica of the 1940 plotting map and interactive displays, with a Spitfire and a Hurricane hanging overhead. Further displays cover the Polish Air Force, which flew under the Group's direction, and the Dieppe raid. The underground Bunker can only be entered on a guided tour that starts with a seated talk in the Operations Room.

Hoogtepunten

• Original 1940s Operations Room with its plotting table, reached by 76 steps
• Guided tour with a seated talk in the Operations Room
• Visitor centre with aircraft wreckage, uniforms and interactive displays
• Permanent gallery on the Polish Air Force
• Spitfire and Hurricane suspended in the exhibition hall

Vaste collectie

• The Bunker and Operations Room – Guided visit to the original 1940s underground Operations Room, with a new soundscape and a talk about how fighter squadrons were directed during the Battle of Britain.
• Battle of Britain Bunker exhibition – Visitor centre displays on the development of Britain's air defence from the First World War to 1945, with aircraft wreckage, uniforms, telecommunications equipment and interactive displays.
• The Polish Air Force – Permanent display on the role of the Polish Air Force in the Second World War, with objects, documents, personal stories and film, many shown to the public for the first time.

Opgericht

1939

Beheerder

Hillingdon Council

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices shown are for the Bunker tour with the visitor centre. HillingdonFirst card holders get 50% off (card must be shown, one card per person). Booking in advance is advised; a limited number of tickets is sold at the front desk each day.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The visitor centre and exhibition are fully accessible, with a ramp, lifts and level access. The Bunker and Operations Room are reached by 76 steps with no lift or ramp, so visitors with reduced mobility can see a pre-recorded virtual Bunker tour (with subtitles) in the wheelchair-accessible auditorium, free with a visitor centre ticket. Hearing loops are fitted in the Operations Room and the auditorium. Touch tours and Quiet Bunker Hours are offered on request, and a sensory map can be downloaded. Accessible toilets and baby changing are on every floor of the visitor centre; there is no Changing Places toilet on site. Assistance dogs are welcome in the visitor centre and exhibition.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk
• Verschoonruimte
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

All ages are welcome in the Bunker, although the tour is recommended for ages 7 and over and may not suit very young children; a quiet area with books and toys is available. Families can follow museum trails, use a Bunker worksheet and visit a dedicated under-5s area with books and toys. Family-friendly shorter tours (suggested ages 7 to 11), toddler story sessions and holiday crafts are offered. One buggy can be stored in the auditorium cloakroom, highchairs are available in the café and breastfeeding is welcome.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Use satnav postcode UB10 0GG. The site is inside the ULEZ zone.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel
• Garderobe: niet aanwezig
• Kluisjes: niet aanwezig

Café with an outdoor terrace and a gift shop in the visitor centre. There is no cloakroom or lockers; visitors are asked not to bring large bags.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

Tot 200 personen.

Spaces for 20 to 200 people include a meeting room, mezzanine, 90-seat auditorium, exhibition hall (evenings only) and learning centre; the site is also an approved ceremony venue. Private tours of the Bunker can be arranged.

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