Churchill war rooms in London – into Churchill’s underground bunker

For a fascinating glimpse into the world of London during the Second World War, you must go underground into the Churchill War Rooms to get a real feel for how Churchill’s government operated during World War 2. I visited the Churchill War Rooms recently with my son and parents and it would make an ideal stop for anyone with an interest in British history, especially on a sightseeing day when the great British weather isn’t being too kind.

The entrance to the Churchill War Rooms is an unobtrusive doorway just by the horse guards parade ground at one end of St James Park, with Buckingham Palace just in view at the other end of the park. As you go down the steps, you’re entering the war rooms restored as they were during the period of the Second World War between 1938 when war was threatening until the war ended in 1945.

This is the place where large numbers of people worked on secret war operations and where Churchill met with his cabinet and Chiefs of Staff. With bombs falling in the Blitz throughout London, the only thing keeping the war rooms safe was initially it’s secret position although later a reinforced concrete ceiling was installed to keep it safe from bomb damage.

We picked up an audio guide at the start of our tour and moved through the underground corridors that would once have been a hive of activity with people working around the clock in shifts and even sleeping underground.

We saw the Cabinet room, where Churchill held his meetings late into the night, the Map room with maps of the Atlantic, Western and Eastern theatres of war on the wall marked with notes and pins and the Transatlantic Phone Room where Churchill could make direct calls to US President Roosevelt. Next there was a section with memorabilia from the war rooms and memories from those who worked there as secretaries and aides to Churchill.

It was an intense time as Churchill placed heavy demands on those around him, but a time when everyone could feel that their contribution would make a difference to the war effort – ‘it was our university’, said one of the interviewees.

One large area of the underground rooms has now been opened up into a museum about Churchill’s life, which gave a fascinating insight into his character and earlier life before he came into the public eye. Churchill’s mother was an American heiress and his father the third son of the Duke of Marlborough, whose family seat is Blenheim Palace where Churchill was born.

He lived an aristocratic childhood, attending public school at Harrow and then joining the army, serving in India and South Africa before entering politics as a member of parliament, like his father before him. The museum was divided into different sections covering each period of Churchill’s life and in the centre was a long interactive table enabling you to view material and documents from different periods of Churchill’s life – like a huge online library.

The museum was very absorbing with memorabilia, photographs and audio exhibits, and I enjoyed finding about more about Churchill’s family life, his beloved and always supportive wife Clementine and what was going on behind the public face of Churchill’s life.

Once we had spent an hour or more in the museum area, we moved on to walk through the rest of the war rooms, a series of rooms where all the war staff would work underground. These were set out as rooms sets with the original furniture and figures showing what would have gone on there, with the audio tour adding more detail.

In the typist’s room we heard the voice of one of Churchill’s devoted secretaries telling how hard it was to work for him as he paced around the room, cigar in mouth, dictating letters and getting short tempered if it wasn’t right first time. Towards the end we stopped in the underground Switch room cafe which continues the ‘London at war’ theme with sausage and mash or ‘dig for victory’ soup, although we just had a cup of coffee.

I found the Churchill War Rooms in London an absorbing and fascinating place to visit, giving a unique insight to Churchill’s leadership of Great Britain during the Second World War and a look at the man behind the political image.

It’s ideal for those with an interest in understanding London’s recent history and for school age and older children, with plenty to look at and listen to on the audio-guide as well as interactive exhibits to read.

Churchill War Rooms, Clive Steps, King Charles Street , London SW1A 2AQ Opening Times: Open daily 9.30 am – 6.00 pm, Last admission 5.00 pm, (closed 24, 25 and 26 December) Check website for admission charges.

More things to see in London

They’re changing the guards at Buckingham Palace

Step back in time at the Dennis Severs’ house in London

To Kensington Palace and tea at the Orangery – in London

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

Click to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, news and reader offers