I built WW2-style underground BUNKER beneath my unassuming bungalow with 35ft tunnel & accessible through old well
A MAN built a World War II-style underground bunker beneath his unassuming bungalow.
Dave Billings, 43, dug a 35ft tunnel from an old well underneath his home – and it took him 11 years to complete it.
The DIY project soon escalated to the next level – with Dave constructing a 140ft bunker, likened to the one in the 1963 film The Great Escape.
Dave, from Derbyshire, said: “I’ve always wanted to find a bunker on the property, but when I didn’t I thought I’ll build one myself.
“It’s a bit of a childhood dream, really.”
The site originally had nothing more than an old well, so Dave built stairs which now lead to his 13sqm den.
Inspired by the iconic escape tunnel from WWII prisoner camps, Dave crafted the tunnel by hand.
He now even plans to line it with wood to replicate the original.
Although it’s not connected to his house just yet, Dave plans to extend the bungalow closer and include a secret door inside – joining the two.
Dave added: “I want to be able to walk through the house, down into the bunker, through the tunnel and come up out of the well in the garden.
“It’s like a secret passageway.
“Plus, if I have friends over they can use the tunnel without disturbing my wife!”
Dave has even constructed a “beer lift” disguised as a keg to carry drinks down to the bunker.
He said: “I made a barrel lift because the stairs are tricky for carrying stuff like beers.
“So now I can just send them down in style.”
So far, Dave has spent £30k on his new bunker and he estimates the final cost to be around £35k.
He added: “I spent about £4k on bricks and then other materials like concrete, waterproofing and insulation.
“Since I’m building everything myself, I’ve been able to cut costs on a lot of things.
“I’m just doing silly things. I want to have a remote-controlled fridge that drives up to you with a beer.
“But I haven’t thought how I would turn that dream into reality.
“I designed everything in Computer-aided design but I’ve got a structural engineer checking the specs.”