WW3 fears surge as Britain maps 284 bunkers and private shelters boom amid global threats

A chilling map reveals that Britain still holds at least 284 nuclear bunkers, a legacy of Cold War paranoia now revived by modern fears of World War Three. As global tensions with Russia, Iran and China escalate, many of these shelters are being scrutinised once again as potential safe havens.

The discovery, by researchers from Subterranea Britannica, paints a detailed picture of Britain’s forgotten underground defences—many designed to survive a direct atomic blast. Hidden beneath housing estates, remote hillsides and even medieval castles, the bunkers once lay dormant. Now, with geopolitical threats surging, they’re capturing the public’s imagination once again.

These shelters include World War Two-era radar rooms, Cold War-era command centres and regional war rooms meant to house government staff in case of nuclear strikes. Some were retrofitted from old RAF bases, while others—like the Brislington War Room near Bristol—sit tucked behind council flats.

In total, the research uncovered 284 bunkers, an increase of eight since the last audit just months ago. Some are in good condition; others have been sold off or left to rot. Yet their very presence is a stark reminder of how close Britain once came to nuclear conflict—and how far those fears have returned.

London alone holds dozens of bunkers, while far-flung locations like the Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight each have just one. In Scotland, the formidable Pitreavie Castle Combined HQ was once a wartime communications hub. The Cambridge Regional War Room, revamped in 1963, was among three Armed Forces HQs built to coordinate national defence in the event of catastrophe.

Cardiff’s Coryton War Room, meanwhile, sits beside a quiet motorway junction—its mundane surroundings belying its wartime importance.

Private demand is now surging. With international tensions high and doomsday scenarios trending online, British companies like Subterranean Spaces and The Panic Room Company report sales of home bunkers have soared by as much as 400 per cent in recent years.

Basic underground shelters can cost as little as £10,000, but high-end versions—complete with luxury features like gyms, air filtration systems and private cinemas—can fetch over £3 million. Wealthy buyers are commissioning bespoke hideouts in London, the Scottish Highlands and the Welsh countryside. Some double as wine cellars or party venues—until the sirens sound.

A spokesperson for The Panic Room Company confirmed: “We’ve never seen interest like this before. People are nervous. They’re preparing for war.”

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healey has not ruled out reactivating dormant government bunkers “should circumstances demand it,” especially as Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans this week to “strengthen the UK’s nuclear deterrent.”

Public anxiety has grown in response to recent warnings that Britain is now a top Russian target, following its vocal support for Ukraine and participation in NATO’s nuclear sharing programmes. Simultaneously, threats from Iran and North Korea have reignited Cold War fears.

The idea of an atomic war once seemed consigned to history. But in 2025, as missiles fly over the Middle East and global alliances fracture, Britain’s underground cities may no longer be relics of the past—they may be our last line of defence.