Hidden History Tours UK (2025)

12/12/2024

Christmas Day is just 13 days away! Are you still struggling to find a gift for that hard-to-buy-for loved one? Why not get the Hidden History Tours experience for friends and family? Dates in January are available for the Fort Southwick D-Day bunker, Eisenhower's Map Room, and the Epsom Deep Level Air Raid Shelter, making them all ideal Christmas gift opportunities to enjoy early in the New Year. Plus new dates have been released in March for RAF Barnham and our top secret tunnels in Kent. Or get a gift voucher and let the recipient choose the location for themselves (vouchers have no expiry, so can be redeemed at any time).

Tunnels, bunkers, dungeons, prisons, forts, shadow factories, air raid shelters, atomic bomb stores - Hidden History Tours UK invites you on a journey to uncover the hidden military, industrial and social history of the United Kingdom. Specialising in locations that are off the beaten track, underground (both physically and figuratively), Hidden History Tours UK will help you explore what lies beneath your feet, out of sight or hidden from hostile eyes. Join us in a world of shadows as we cast light on the sites, stories and secrets across the centuries...

Run by professional event organisers with 25 years of experience, Hidden History Tours have been taking visitors to unique, hidden, historical locations since 2009. For more details visit https://hiddenhistorytours.uk/

22/11/2024

It was a glorious sunny Autumn day in Surrey last weekend on 16th November. So the perfect weather to head underground into the darkness of Epsom's hidden wartime air raid tunnels!

80 years ago in 1944, a V1 doodlebug flying bomb landed here on Ashley Road, causing devastation and fatalities.
Across the borough there were higher numbers of residents killed by V1 and V2 bombs in 1944 than by conventional bombing from 1940.

During the Second World War Epsom Council created the Ashley Road Deep Level municipal air raid shelter to attempt to protect the citizens of the suburbs from Luftwaffe attack.
Constructed 50 feet underground, the grid of brick and metal lined tunnels provided safe shelter to 1,500 people complete with toilets and a canteen.

Now long forgotten and hidden in woodland, this is a secret, unique and fascinating reminder of the dark days of Hi**er's blitz on Britain. Once there had a few deep level shelters but sadly only one remains accessible in Epsom. Fortunately we are still able to come here once every 2-3 months.
Tickets book quickly in advance so we have a new date of Saturday 15th January '25.
Torches at the ready!

See our website for bookings, and all details of all our secret and hidden tours this Winter, including our online gift vouchers to ease the frustration of Christmas shopping! www.hiddenhistorytours.uk

31/10/2024

As the Hallowe'en season descends, we close the doors to one of our top secret locations, the amazing Second World War tunnels in Kent, as the bat breeding season begins!

From October to March we allow the bats a little privacy until we re-open in Spring. This unique historical site lies beneath the very streets and homes of a city in Kent, comprising literally miles of tunnels. Part air raid shelter for thousands of employees and part underground factory, the site was expanded as the bombs fell during Hi**er's Blitz on Britain and whilst the factory buildings above ground have been demolished, the tunnels have remained, and a torch-lit subterranean tour (including films projected on the walls) is incredibly evocative.

Visit our website and subscribe to receive the next dates when we venture underground here again, and see full details of this tour (as we are not able to name the exact location here!) https://hiddenhistorytours.uk/

In the meantime, we continue our underground historical exploring elsewhere around England. Join us on Saturday 9th November at Fort Southwick in Hampshire - a huge WW2 bunker which played a crucial role in the D-Day operations and on Saturday 16th November we venture into the labyrinth of Epsom's Ashley Road Air Raid Shelter Tunnels in Surrey.
(Both these tour locations pictured here).

30/10/2024

Happy Hallowe'en!

Even World War II didn't stop the celebration of All Hallows' Eve (at least in America). Pictured is a 1943 'V for Victory' pumpkin carving - note the mouth being formed by the Morse Code characters for the letter V! Dot, dot, dot, dash - or for those trained as operators: dit, dit, dit, dah...

Speaking of seasonal celebrations, Christmas is only 56 days away, so why not get the Hidden History Tours experience for friends and family? New dates in January have been released for the Fort Southwick D-Day bunker, Eisenhower's Map Room, and the Epsom Deep Level Air Raid Shelter, making them all ideal Christmas gift opportunities to enjoy early in the New Year. Or get a gift voucher and let the recipient choose the location (vouchers have no expiry, so can be redeemed at any time).
..and a final call for next month's WWII Epsom Deep Level Air Raid Shelter visit in Surrey on Sat 16th November - just three tickets left! Torches essential!!

www.hiddenhistorytours.uk

21/10/2024

Keeping Surrey's wartime history alive!
Join Hidden History Tours UK in Epsom, Surrey on Saturday 16th November 2024 to venture underground on torchlit tours to explore amazing hidden wartime air raid tunnels!

Epsom once had a few deep level shelters but sadly only one remains accessible.

On our tours, (each lasting approx 1 hour 45 mins), find out about the mystery surrounding the first building of the shelter and how Epsom Council created the Ashley Road Deep Level municipal air raid shelter to attempt to protect the citizens of the sleepy suburbs from Luftwaffe attack during the Second World War.

Constructed 50 feet underground, the grid of brick and metal lined tunnels provided shelter to 1,500 people. It was completed in 1942, ironically not in time for the main bomber blitz at the start of the war, but provided cover to those seeking to escape the fall of V1 doodlebug flying bombs and V2 rockets at the end of the war. Now long forgotten and hidden in woodland on the edge of Epsom, this is a secret, unique and fascinating reminder of the dark days of Hi**er's blitz on Britain.

LAST FEW TICKETS AVAILABLE for morning and afternoon tour options. Torches essential! For ticket bookings and full details of this tour, and all of our secret and hidden locations above and underground, visit our website: https://hiddenhistorytours.uk/

09/10/2024

You've seen the film Oppenheimer, now see the bomb!

On Saturday 19th October 2024, join Hidden History Tours UK on walking tours (11am and 2pm) of former RAF Barnham, in the beautiful Autumn countryside near Thetford. This location was a former Ministry of Defence site and one of the most top secret locations in the UK - No.94 Maintenance Unit Royal Air Force - so come with us and explore this amazing Cold War complex.

At the height of the Cold War this was home to Britain's arsenal of atomic weapons for the mighty V Bomber force, including the massive Blue Danube gravity bomb. Walk the site, complete with barbed wire perimeter, concrete walls, guard towers and zones for attack dogs and armed guards. Enter the actual "hutches" where fissile cores were stored, climb up the 30 foot high watchtower for a guards-eye view and find out how the original owner purchased this former Ministry of Defence site and became the Dr Strangelove of Norfolk!

Oppenheimer's three atomic devices (two of which were used in action against Japan in WWII at Hiroshima and Nagasaki) were codenamed Trinity, Little Boy and Fat Man respectively. The British bomb (you will see the replica at RAF Barnham) was a copy of Oppenheimer's Nagasaki bomb. It was codenamed Blue Danube and officially designated the Mk 1 Atom Bomb.

See our website for all secret and hidden tours this Autumn and Winter, including our online gift vouchers to ease the frustration of Christmas shopping! www.hiddenhistorytours.uk

13/09/2024

Join us on Saturday 21st September as we visit one of our top secret locations - an incredible underground tour beneath the very streets and homes of a city in Kent, comprising literally miles of tunnels!

Part air raid shelter for thousands of employees and part underground factory, it was the brainwave of three brothers who were pioneering aeronautical engineers just before the war and expanded as the bombs fell during Hi**er's Blitz on Britain.
Whilst the factory buildings above ground have been demolished, the tunnels have remained, and a torch-lit tour is incredibly evocative.
Your light will pick out stencilled signs, surviving paintwork and vast quantities of wartime graffiti! Flash Gordon can be seen, Roy Rogers, Popeye, several saucy ladies and various versions of Hi**er - including one with his head in a noose! Unsurprisingly there are many carefully drawn aircraft, with some even chiselled into the brickwork. There is at least one poem, hundreds of games of noughts and crosses, not to mention the names of workplace lovebirds who met whilst sheltering on the benches!

We are not able to name the tunnels here (it being our ultimate hidden history location!), so please visit our website for full details of this tour and all other current tours: https://hiddenhistorytours.uk/

Photo courtesy of Jo Emery

21/07/2024

If you have seen Benedict Cumberbatch in the wonderful 2021 biographical movie 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain' then Hidden History Tours UK can take you to the actual Springfield Victorian 'asylum' where Benedict's real life character Louis Wain was hospitalised.

Louis Wain (1860 - 1939) was a famously talented illustrator and you will have seen his Victorian advertising posters or book covers featuring quirky, cute or mischievous cats - and these were Louis's work.
Sadly, Louis's mental health declined following a serious head injury after falling from a London omnibus and from also experiencing personal loss in a relatively short space of time. He also suffered great financial stress in supporting his family as he had not copyrighted his work!
This year in 2024 sees the 100th anniversary of Louis arriving at Springfield Hospital, where he lived before moving to other psychiatric hospitals.

Springfield Hospital - or Surrey County Asylum - were just a few names given to this former Victorian hospital. We will explore the building from cellars to rooftops, so come and learn the stories of its other inmates and staff, see artifacts and archival materials discovered on site and find out the fascinating history of this grand and sprawling place. The property development of this site is scheduled to begin in mid September, so this really is the last and only chance to see it!

Tickets for tours in July 2024 sold out within hours of circulating our May e-newsletter so subscribe now via our website to hear of new dates and new locations first!
We have added a new date - Friday 30th August 2024 - but spaces are selling fast. There may be a chance we can add one more Autumn date too.

We also have new dates for all our usual underground favourites so pack your torches for a subterranean exploration! (Including a top secret tunnels location in Kent on Saturday 21st September 2024.... Shhhhhh!).

For tickets and full details of all our tours see: wwwhiddenhistorytours.uk

20/07/2024

Hidden History Tours UK took explorers to our newest exciting location - the Victorian Surrey County Asylum today, Saturday 20th July. Tickets sold out within hours of sending out our May e-newsletter so subscribe now via our website to hear of new dates and new locations first! We have added a new date - Friday 30th August - but spaces are selling fast.

Explore this former Victorian hospital from cellars to rooftops, learn the stories of its most famous inmates and staff, see artifacts and archival materials discovered on site and find out the fascinating history of this grand and sprawling former psychiatric hospital. The property development of this site is sadly scheduled to begin in mid September, so this really is the last and only chance to see it!

We also have new dates for all our usual underground favourites so pack your torches for a subterranean exploration! (Including a top secret tunnels location in Kent on Saturday 21st September.... Shhhhhh!).

For tickets and full details of all our tours see: wwwhiddenhistorytours.uk

18/07/2024

Join Hidden History Tours UK in Epsom, Surrey on Saturday 31st August to venture underground on torchlit tours to explore amazing hidden wartime air raid tunnels!

Epsom once had a few deep level shelters but sadly only one remains accessible.

On our tours, (each lasting approx 1 hour 45 mins), find out about the mystery surrounding the first building of the shelter and how Epsom Council created the Ashley Road Deep Level municipal air raid shelter to attempt to protect the citizens of the sleepy suburbs from Luftwaffe attack during the Second World War. Constructed 50 feet underground, the grid of brick and metal lined tunnels provided shelter to 1,500 people. It was completed in 1942, ironically not in time for the main bomber blitz at the start of the war, but provided cover to those seeking to escape the fall of V1 doodlebug flying bombs and V2 rockets at the end of the war. Now long forgotten and hidden in woodland on the edge of Epsom, this is a secret, unique and fascinating reminder of the dark days of Hi**er's blitz on Britain.

Spaces are limited. Morning and afternoon tour options. Torches essential! For ticket bookings and full details of this tour, and all of our secret and hidden locations above and underground, including very secret tunnels tours in Kent on Saturday 21st September visit our website: https://hiddenhistorytours.uk/

08/07/2024

On Saturday 6th July Hidden History Tours UK continued our series of D-Day tours and took a leisurely stroll along beautiful Lepe beach in the New Forest to see the relics of Codename Mulberry.

In this photo you can see the hooks for concrete 'beach hardening' mats - evidence of a D-Day embarkation point where soldiers, tanks and trucks loaded onto landing ships and departed for Normandy 80 years ago. This beach has a wealth of important remains of this crucial period in the second world war when new engineering feats were a race against time.

With the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations continuing all summer (Paris wasn't liberated until 25th August 1944) visit our website for all our other secret and hidden tour locations.

Tickets are selling fast so we are adding Autumn dates very soon - www.hiddenhistorytours.uk

21/06/2024

With the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations continuing all summer (Paris wasn't liberated until 25th August 1944) there is still a chance to join us on the beaches - albeit the embarkation beaches in Britain!

Join us on Saturday 6th July for our tour: 'Codename Mulberry - Top Secret D-Day Site' and a walk along the lovely New Forest coast. See where 'PLUTO' ran underwater to the Isle of Wight, explore the remains of the 'hardened' beach where landing ships were loaded with tanks and troops, walk the full 1,227 foot long construction platform on which the mighty 'Phoenix' caissons were built - the largest element of the incredible Mulberry Harbours.

(And there's an excellent cafe on the beach!)

Our other D-Day events in June and July are now sold out, but these locations can still be visited in September/ October. See our website for these fascinating locations. www.hiddenhistorytours.uk

30/05/2024

Hidden History Tours Mark and Joanna not only take you on guided tours to secret and hidden locations around the UK, but Mark also provides commentaries for public events including WW2 commemoration event organisation. So far this year in sunny May we've provided our services for English Heritage's amazing wartime shows at Audley End House & Gardens and Dover Castle. Next WW2 English Heritage events: Wrest Park At War (17 & 18 August) and Belsay Hall (24 & 25 August). With some other period events commentary as well in between! Don't miss English Heritage's spectacular Battle of Hastings on 12 & 13 October - Mark on the mic again...!

forget

14/05/2024

You've seen the film Oppenheimer, now see the bomb!

This Saturday 18th May, join Hidden History Tours UK on walking tours of RAF Barnham near Thetford, a former Ministry of Defence site, to explore this amazing Cold War complex which was once one of the most top secret locations in the UK - No.94 Maintenance Unit Royal Air Force.

At the height of the Cold War this was home to Britain's arsenal of atomic weapons for the mighty V Bomber force, including the massive Blue Danube gravity bomb. Walk the site, complete with barbed wire perimeter, concrete walls, guard towers and zones for attack dogs and armed guards. Enter the actual "hutches" where fissile cores were stored, climb up the 30 foot high watchtower for a guards-eye view and find out how the original owner purchased this former Ministry of Defence site and became the Dr Strangelove of Norfolk!

Oppenheimer's three atomic devices (two of which were used in action against Japan in WWII at Hiroshima and Nagasaki) were codenamed Trinity, Little Boy and Fat Man respectively. The British bomb (you will see the replica at RAF Barnham) was a copy of Oppenheimer's Nagasaki bomb. It was codenamed Blue Danube and officially designated the Mk 1 Atom Bomb.

For ticket bookings and full details of this tour, and all of our secret and hidden locations above and underground, visit https://hiddenhistorytours.uk/

03/05/2024

Keeping England's wartime history alive!

Exclusive experience on Friday 10th May from Hidden History Tours: Visit Air Marshal Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris' headquarters at RAF High Wycombe - originally the wartime HQ for Royal Air Force Bomber Command.

The focus of the tour is Bomber Harris' wartime office, containing many period features and expertly restored to its original layout using surviving photographs as a guide. Here we will find out more about the wartime leader of Bomber Command as we seek to uncover the truth behind the myths and controversies. Did he instigate the tactic of area-bombing of German cities? Why was Dresden bombed to such devastating effect in February 1945 when the war was almost over? Controversies began even before the war ended - ensuring that Bomber Command aircrew were not awarded the recognition of their own medal clasp or their own memorial statue for nearly 70 years after VE Day. Find out why on this unique experience.

Tours duration approx 90 mins (morning and afternoon options). This is an active military site with strictly controlled and escorted access only. Bookings need to be submitted a week in advance. When booking, please supply the names of all those attending and their nationalities. This event is fully accessible, including for wheelchairs. Visit our website for more details and bookings www.hiddenhistorytours.uk

29/04/2024

"Ok, let's go"! Come and sit in the same rooms as Churchill, Eisenhower, de Galle and King George did 80 years ago at Southwick House, near Portsmouth. Hear about the incredible events in the run up to D-Day before Eisenhower's famous three words "Ok, let's go" were announced. The Operations Room where the original painted wooden D-Day map (Grade 1 listed) fills an entire wall is virtually untouched since the war and never ceases to amaze. Our next available tours are here on the 17th July but tickets will sell out fast as we expect more visitors than usual for this anniversary year. Photo ID is essential to enter this operational military base. Earlier on 22nd June we visit the nearby vast bunker system of Fort Southwick - which is part of the same D-Day story - as this was the operations centre that coordinated the D-Day Landings. No ID needed for the tunnels, just a good torch! For bookings and full details of these tours and our other D-Day commemorative events visit: https://hiddenhistorytours.uk/

24/04/2024

After a very wet Easter, we can hope for blue skies in May - so why not reach for the sky and visit one of our Royal Air Force sites next month? A few tickets remain for the Bomber Harris tour on the active military base at RAF High Wycombe on Fri 10th May, where you can uncover the truth behind the controversies. Alternatively, at former RAF Barnham you can ascend one of the fully restored 1950s watchtowers (pictured) and enjoy a walk in the beautiful Norfolk countryside, taking in the unique Cold War features and discovering its connection to Oppenheimer, on Sat 18th May.
Visit us at www.hiddenhistorytours.uk

22/04/2024

A swimsuit still vibrant orange after 80 years!
Join us this coming Saturday to spot some great wartime graffiti as we visit one of our top secret locations - an incredible underground tour beneath the very streets and homes of a certain city in Kent, comprising literally miles of tunnels.
Part air raid shelter for thousands of employees and part underground factory, it was built by the Short Brothers aeronautical engineers just before the war and expanded as the bombs fell during Hi**er's Blitz on Britain. Whilst the factory buildings above ground have been demolished, the tunnels have remained, and a torch-lit tour is incredibly evocative. Your light will pick out stencilled signs, surviving paintwork and vast quantities of the wartime graffiti! Flash Gordon can be seen, Roy Rogers, Popeye, several saucy ladies and various versions of Hi**er - including one with his head in a noose! Unsurprisingly there are many carefully drawn aircraft, with some even chiselled into the brickwork. There is at least one poem, hundreds of games of noughts and crosses, not to mention the names of workplace lovebirds who met whilst sheltering on the benches! We are not able to name the location here, so please visit our website for full details of this tour and all other current tours: https://hiddenhistorytours.uk/

Hidden History Tours UK