Nuclear Bunker in Leeds Coal Mine ?!?

[jonleeds]

Greetings!I was startled when I came across this story on t'internet last night and I thought I ought to share it with you all to see what you think, I am sure that RikJ / Phil D will have something to say about it, eh lads? I found it on a website written by a guy called Jack Gale. This is from a chapter in his autobiography. At some point in his life he was working in coal mining and he discloses this incredible story on his website. Have a gander at this....:...........................................................................................CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE                         ATOMIC SHELTER?Robin Hood pit was situated at the Half Way House on the Leeds, Wakefield Road, Rothwell. It was about Four Miles From Middleton Broom Colliery as the crow flies. Middleton was a small pit in comparison with others, about Five Hundred people work there. Robin Hood had been even smaller. It was now worked out of coal but maintenance men worked regularly to keep the pit in good order. There was still development work in progress. The surface was being landscaped.Soon after the underground connecting road from Middleton To Robin Hood was completed Ben W. took me down it. As we were walking Ben began to confide in me about the nature of the road and why it had been built:As has been discussed it was primary an escape route for both pits. But just as important pits were being connected with the Atom Bomb in mind. Underground shelters were envisaged as protection against the bombs. In those days people were beginning to realise Atomic bombs could rain on the British Isles. The cold war had started.I was finding this a little hard to believe. I could understand the importance of an escape route. If a disaster incapacitated the two shafts, miners could then be directed to the nearest other shaft. Atom Bomb shelters was another matter.We eventually reached the Robin Hood pit bottom. It was much like the one at Middleton, I remember looking up the shaft at the small circle of light at the surface. It looked much shallower than at Middleton. There was an onsetter in attendance and he offered to wind us out. Ben declined saying, "We must push on."We headed off in another direction from where we had come Occasionally Ben looked a what I assume to be a plan of the Robin Hood workings. I was wondering if he had got us lost, for I had no idea of the way back, when we turned a corner.Confronting us was a metal air door. I had never ever seen anything like it. It was not locked but it hung on great hinges with a large bolt and hasp type device at the side. On going through this door we were met by a second similar, but much larger, door.Once through this one we entered a roadway that was about Twenty feet in height (Six meters). The roof was curved at the top like normal roadways but that was where the similarity ended.The concrete walls were smooth. They were painted a light beige colour. Everywhere was spotlessly clean not a speck of dust anywhere. The floor had a kind of Red polished non slippery surface. There seemed to be no air movement but the air was fresh and clean. The roadway was well lit by fluorescent tubes set in the roof. There was no sign of any weight problems on the roadway. If I did not know better I could swear I was not down a pit at all.I was amazed and I think Ben was, because although he had prior knowledge of its existence, it was the first time for him to see it also."What do you think of it?" he asked."Amazing, what is it""It's an atomic refuge." he explained, "In the event of miners becoming trapped down the pit they can survive down here. Although it is by no means finished, it will be stocked with food and all the essentials for living down here for long periods. Eventually there will be sleeping, preparation of food and office accommodation in-built."The roadway was about two hundred yards long and at the end were doors similar to the ones we had come through initially. We did not go through them but retraced our steps and headed back to Middleton.I have often wondered about the air circulation down in that place, the steel doors were unlike any air doors I had ever seen, there seemed to be no air circulating yet the air condition was perfect.As we headed back Ben said, "Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, it is not a secret but until it becomes common knowledge keep it to yourself."And I did for many years after............................................................................So what do you think about that then? Is this just the ramblings or imaginings of an old man or something that actually existed? I havent heard anything like it. I dont see why they would go to such trouble to protect coal miners who were already down a pit if the bomb was ever dropped. And as for the rest of us it would hardly be practical as a public shelter as we'd all have to get to the pithead and pile down the shaft to have any protection, plus chances are whatever went on at the surface when several megaton devices detonated would most likely mean anyone down a coal mine would be staying there indefinetely, I cant get my head round it... What does anyone think?

[Cardiarms]

No beyond reason I suppose. My immediate thoughts though why bother having it 6m tall and what kit did they use to cut such a road, my understanding that the machines are sized and made to cut standard size roads, so something special was used or lots of labour, and I start thinking of the logistics of that...

[Loiner in Cyprus]

It's there. I've seen it. As mentioned in other threads, I worked at Miggy in the early 60s.     I was an apprentice at the time and the fitter I was working with at one point took me to see it. He said not to mention that I'd seen it as we'd get aEdited: (Use of asterisks to replace unacceptable language may result in posts being removed) for sciving. It was refered to by him, and other miners, as the Robin Hood drift. It was very big compared to the other roadways underground and was rendered ie no props, rings or other supports were visible.    

[jonleeds]

Hi folks! well how intriguing, so Loiner, you say you have seen this thing? I dont know much about the history of coal mining in Leeds, I guess when the Middleton and other collieries closed down this 'Atomic Refuge' was buried for good, so somewhere thousands of feet below Leeds is a nuclear bomb shelter that cost probably hundreds of thousands of pounds to create and is now sealed off forever? I wonder if there are any photos of this place around anywhere.It certainly sounds impressive having rendered walls, lighting, ventilation, stocks of food , living quarters etc. I am surprised there hasnt been any mention of it on Sub Britannica or something, I have certainly never seen any reference to it on these forums. Where about was it mentioned on here? I am desperate to know more!

[Loiner in Cyprus]

jonleeds wrote: Hi folks! well how intriguing, so Loiner, you say you have seen this thing? I dont know much about the history of coal mining in Leeds, I guess when the Middleton and other collieries closed down this 'Atomic Refuge' was buried for good, so somewhere thousands of feet below Leeds is a nuclear bomb shelter that cost probably hundreds of thousands of pounds to create and is now sealed off forever? I wonder if there are any photos of this place around anywhere.It certainly sounds impressive having rendered walls, lighting, ventilation, stocks of food , living quarters etc. I am surprised there hasnt been any mention of it on Sub Britannica or something, I have certainly never seen any reference to it on these forums. Where about was it mentioned on here? I am desperate to know more! A point of clarification; I never saw any 'stocks of food, living quarters etc.' Also it wasn't light up and I cant remember if there was any light fittings.

[Leodian]

It is very intriguing. I wonder if it was to be a large storage area to protect things during the Cold War times, like the relatively smaller bunker in Adel Wood that was to be used by the then Leeds Permanant Building Society to store legal documents and associated things during World War 2.

[jonleeds]

Actually it was in the memoirs of Jack Gale that 'living quarters' and 'stocks of food' were mentioned. I have seen a couple more references to this nuclear bunker elsewhere on the internet but they are only comments made by ex-miners. I cant find anything else about it. I guess with these old pits been long since closed and the cold war now over its unlikely that any info about this place will ever come to light, unless somebody has some records or photographs they decide to publish...

[jonleeds]

Has anyone noticed that this website is not accessible from the main site page? I reckon this must be putting a lot of users off

[chameleon]

jonleeds wrote: Has anyone noticed that this website is not accessible from the main site page? I reckon this must be putting a lot of users off See this thread Jon:http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... eadID=3022

[grumpytramp]

Mmmm ......... I have read this before in Jack Gales part-autobiographical website http://www.jackgale.co.uk/Some of the website is not to my taste (some slightly dodgy politics and sci-fi) and but his own very honest record of his life is a great social document for which he should be loudly applauded for.I certainily am not going to contradict what Jack and LinC witnessed and it would come as no suprise that the NCB made substantial investment in the final decades of the pit and along the way formed some substantial structure for some purpose at Robin Hood Colliery but its purpose as a nuclear shelter? ......... No way!A modern colliery would be a terrible place to seek sanctuary from nuclear fall out, but better than an ancient pit like Robin Hood Colliery ridden with old workings and no doubt flooded workings without forced ventilation the atmosphere would rapidly fill with the classic hazardous pit gasses; methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide etc and render life impossible. In a nuclear winter the last place that you would want to be sat would be in the flow of colliery ventilation (if it had survived) hurling vast volumes of radioactive particles through the workings regardless how many filters were available.Considering the location ......... why choose a colliery in the last years of its life, riddled with old workings, realtively close to the surface with multiple openings?Take your choice of alternatives ......... custom built repositories, the former lead and flourspar mines of the Dales, Gypsum mines in Nottinghamshire & Staffordshire, Anhydrite mines in Cleveland, Limestone mines in the Dales & Peaks, flagstone workings in the Elland/Halifax/Bradford area, redundant railway tunnels etc etc Sceptically yoursG