The Kingsway Exchange Tunnels, an underground tunnel network deep beneath the centre of London, will be turned into a permanent museum exhibition in collaboration with the Museum of Military Intelligence.
Built during World War II to shelter Londoners during the Blitz, the mile-long series of tunnels were kept secret for nearly 70 years, and are now destined to be repurposed as an underground tourist attraction showcasing the history of military intelligence and the military use of the tunnels.
The London Tunnels, the organisation founded to preserve the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels, said that the permanent exhibition would offer a combination of historical heritage experiences and a cultural, multi-sensory, digital experience.
The displays will house original artefacts, equipment, weapons, documents and images along with interactive experiences that highlight the history, tools, and techniques of military intelligence.
Stories from the Battle of Britain and D-Day will be featured, along with the espionage operations of the Cold War and the fight for the Falklands, and intelligence operations related to modern peace-keeping missions and combatting terrorist threats.
The museum will also feature an exhibition dedicated to the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a clandestine force established in July 1940 under the orders of Prime Minister Winston Churchill to ‘set Europe ablaze’.
Honouring military intelligence operatives
The Museum of Military Intelligence was founded by the British Army’s Intelligence Corps and is now also supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. It said this collaboration is dedicated to honouring the sacrifices of the tens of thousands of men and women who have served in British military intelligence and their associated organisations.
“The UK has long been at the forefront of military intelligence. Skills developed over centuries by thousands of brave, imaginative and determined men and women, have defended Britain and the world from those who threaten us,” said General Sir Jim Hockenhull, Commander of Strategic Command and Colonel Commandant of the Intelligence Corps.
“They continue to protect us today and will do so in the future, but their exciting and fascinating operations have remained hidden. It is time that, where we can, we allow our forebears to tell their story.”
“I am delighted that, through a partnership with The London Tunnels, we can now do so and will see in London the world’s most authoritative permanent exhibition of Military Intelligence. The tunnels will provide a dramatic and historic backdrop for an exciting new approach to telling the story of the past, present and future of military intelligence,” he said.
Angus Murray, CEO of The London Tunnels, said this new exhibition in central London will provide convenient access to an important and unique collection that has until now been largely hidden.
“The tunnels, built and designed to protect Londoners during the Blitz, are the ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable, and untold, stories of the men and women who played a vital role in protecting Britain then, and the role of the armed services protecting Britain today,” Murray said.
Work on the new exhibition is set to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2028.
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