Footsteps of WWII · Britain

Battle of Britain Bunker, Uxbridge

Headquarters · Jul–Oct 1940

The story

This bunker, about 60 feet underground at RAF Uxbridge, housed the Operations Room of No. 11 Group, Fighter Command, which defended London and the south-east and saw more fighting than any other group in 1940. Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park commanded from here, sending squadrons up against raids plotted on the large table map. On 15 September 1940, with Churchill watching from the gallery, every 11 Group squadron was committed at once. Churchill first spoke the words 'never was so much owed by so many to so few' as he left Uxbridge on 16 August, four days before he used them in the House of Commons. The bunker was part of the Dowding system, the first integrated air defence network.

What to look for

Down 76 steps you reach the Operations Room, laid out as it was on 15 September 1940: the plotting table with raid markers, the tote board showing squadron states, and the glazed controllers' gallery above. A modern visitor centre at ground level holds the museum.

Plan your visit

Open daily 10:00–16:30. The bunker itself is seen only on a guided tour of about an hour; booking ahead is advised. Tour plus visitor centre about £14 adult, under-16s free. 76 steps, no lift. Check the website before you go.

Nearby sites

• Bentley Priory Museum, Stanmore · 13 km
• Churchill War Rooms, London · 24 km
• Imperial War Museum London · 25 km
• St Paul's Cathedral and the Blitz, London · 26 km
• Biggin Hill Memorial Museum · 41 km
• Bletchley Park · 54 km

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