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Clapham South Shelter: WWII Underground Experience
4.5
10 Ratings
Greater London
Discover the expansive and distinctive underground area beneath Clapham South station, which served as a refuge for thousands during the Second World War.
Knowledgeable guides will lead you 30 meters below the surface to a maze of tunnels, allowing you to experience what life was like for wartime shelterers over 80 years ago.
Discover the expansive and distinctive underground area beneath Clapham South station, which served as a refuge for thousands during the Second World War.
Knowledgeable guides will lead you 30 meters below the surface to a maze of tunnels, allowing you to experience what life was like for wartime shelterers over 80 years ago.
Duration:
1 hour, 15 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Clapham South Deep Level Shelter - Travel back in time with a tour of one of the eight deep-level shelters constructed in London during the Second World War. Opened in 1944, this hidden underground labyrinth was designed to safeguard over 8,000 people, featuring canteens, medical stations, and sleeping quarters all concealed beneath London’s…
- Clapham South Deep Level Shelter - Travel back in time with a tour of one of the eight deep-level shelters constructed in London during the Second World War. Opened in 1944, this hidden underground labyrinth was designed to safeguard over 8,000 people, featuring canteens, medical stations, and sleeping quarters all concealed beneath London’s streets. Uncover this captivating history with two expert guides, including one portraying a 1940s warden to provide a firsthand account of what it was like to work and seek refuge there during the war. Follow in the footsteps of wartime South Londoners spending their first night there, and experience what the space looked and felt like 80 years ago, thanks to meticulously recreated areas such as the warden’s booth and canteen.
What's Included
- 75-minute guided tour
- Clapham South disused WWII subterranean air raid shelter
- 75-minute guided tour
- Clapham South disused WWII subterranean air raid shelter
What's Not Included
- Transportation to and from the site - please make your own way to the tour
- Transportation to and from the site - please make your own way to the tour
Additional Information
- Not suitable for children under 10 years old
- There is a maximum of four children (aged 10-15 yrs) allowed per adult
- All guests must bring photo ID
- Open-toed shoes are not allowed
- Please do not bring luggage or large bags - there is no cloakroom
- The tour involves a lot of walking, including areas of uneven ground and low lighting
- Tours are…
- Not suitable for children under 10 years old
- There is a maximum of four children (aged 10-15 yrs) allowed per adult
- All guests must bring photo ID
- Open-toed shoes are not allowed
- Please do not bring luggage or large bags - there is no cloakroom
- The tour involves a lot of walking, including areas of uneven ground and low lighting
- Tours are not suitable for guests with claustrophobia
- Tours are not step free and including walking up and down flights of stairs
- There’s no elevator
- No food or drinks allowed on the tour
Location
SW12 9EA
Balham Hill
The meeting point for this tour is in front of the Marks & Spencer Food Hall on Balham HIII, SW12 9EA. This is about a 2 minute walk from Clapham South tube station - just turn to the right upon exiting.
WhatsWords: ///really.orbit.beside.
Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour time.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(10 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Fergiemulberry
Jun 1, 2025
Highlight - Fabulous! Was a bit sceptical but this was a great experience. Wonderfully presented, professional and knowledgeable. Would happily book another without hesitation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A5637ihsarag
Apr 27, 2025
A fantastic tour and experience - This was our second tour of the underground in London. We were very impressed with the quality of this tour. Very interesting delivery by our tour guide and the warden and lots of examples of how the tunnels were used as air raid shelters during the war.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kail0ngy
Apr 16, 2025
Immersive tour of WWII Air Raid Bunker - The tour brings you back to the 1940s, which London is suffering from the Blitz. You get to walk around the bunker and look at facilities and exhibits, which introduces the history of these WWII-era bunkers, from the early Blitz during 1940 to 1941, to the “mini Blitz” of 1944, which V-1 and V-2 rockets are utilised by then Nazi Germany, to even post-WWII era! The tour guides provided the group an immersive experience into the livelihood of Londoners inside the bunkers. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the civilians’ livelihood during the Blitz.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H5786tdhelenb
Apr 10, 2025
Fascinating tour - What a fabulous trip. Fascinating insight into the underground shelter. The staff were excellent and very knowledgeable. Thoroughly recommended - just take the stairs slowly!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tara303
Mar 2, 2025
Fabulous experience with surprises along the way - I joined the visit with four of my friends as it was something that I wanted to do for years as I grew up in Clapham and was always intrigued what the subterranean tunnels looked like. The visit was very informative. There is much to be surprised by and experience I was pleasantly surprised by how it presented as I did not have this knowledge prior. Definitely worth a visit to live it yourself. Take on any advanced guidance of shoes yo wear and baggage etc as there is a lot of stairs and walking. It’s actually quite warm down there too so you will not need to wrap up too much as I did and was too hot. We had a fabulous time and I would definitely visit a Hidden London event again in the future. Thank you again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kate
Feb 23, 2025
Tour guides make this exceptional! - The Hidden London Tour of Clapham South is a fascinating journey into London’s past. Descending 11 stories underground, we stepped into a wartime shelter that once housed thousands seeking refuge during WWII air raids and later welcomed Windrush migrants and Festival of Britain visitors.
The tour guides are fantastic—engaging, knowledgeable, and passionate about sharing the stories of those who once lived in this subterranean space. One guide, playing a 1940s ARP Warden, adds to the immersive experience with vivid storytelling. Walking through the recreated dormitories, warden’s booth, and canteen, alongside original artifacts, makes history feel incredibly real.
If you’re a history lover or just curious about London’s hidden spaces, this tour is an absolute must. It’s a unique opportunity to explore a lesser-known but deeply significant part of the city’s past.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
633dennises
Feb 21, 2025
Highly recommend - This is my third tour and by far my favourite. It was so interesting and the staff were fabulous. Especially the guy who was in character showing us around. Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T6438uimichaelp
Feb 20, 2025
Greta tour! Highly recommended. - Best HL tour yet. Lot to see and learn from really informative guides. Loved the actor!
Several links with my family's war experiences
Impressive engineering too!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jghb2022
Apr 9, 2025
Interesting to experience what our predecessors went through nearly a century ago. - Found it fairly accurate in historical context. But failed to acknowledge that the deep tunnel shelter existed in Brixton as well. Although demolished now. It has important role in playing it's own part of post war colonial history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Countvongriffin-haha
Apr 20, 2025
Awful . - I have to tell you this was the worst experience I can ever remember .
Nothing wrong with the staff 🙃
But 180 steps down and up and no toilet of any sort made the whole thing very unpleasant .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
