Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker is a Cold War bunker in Essex with a long-standing haunted reputation. From eerie encounters to late-night investigations, here’s what it’s really like to take part in a ghost hunt there.
Back in 2019, I travelled down to Essex for a ghost investigation with a company called Haunted Adventures. Despite having a huge interest in the paranormal, this was my first ever ghost hunt!
If you don’t know about Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker, the name tells all. It’s the biggest and deepest Cold War bunker open to the public in the Southeast of England, and can be visited for ghost hunts and to explore the museum and premises. There are also other attractions on the grounds, including an activity centre, escape games and more.
It’s a large underground (and now, not so secret) bunker that was maintained during the Cold War and is now a tourist attraction.
Here’s what to expect on a ghost hunt at this unique hidden bunker and what activity we experienced on our investigation.
What Is Kelvedon Hatch Bunker?
The Kelvedon Hatch bunker was built in 1952–53 as part of ROTOR, a programme to strengthen Britain’s air defence network. It was used as an emergency regional government defence site until the early 1900s, then it was sold back to the family that owned the land in the 1950s. Nowadays, it’s a Cold War Museum (which is not so secret anymore!).
The attraction is creepy enough without the ghosts. Hidden away in the countryside and accessible through an old rundown bungalow, the atmosphere of the bunker is already disconcerting even upon arrival. What makes it weirder is that despite being fully working, there are no staff. Entry fee is paid upon exit via an honesty box, and there’s even a fully working cafe with hot drinks, food and oddball souvenirs. The fact that you can descend 125 feet underground alone with no staff on hand is kind of worrying. The history is worth the visit though and I’d recommend you all check it out.
As for hauntings…
Why Is Kelvedon Hatch Bunker Considered Haunted?
Please note: I was not aware of any of the haunting history (or much of the building’s history actually!) before I attended, as I didn’t want my experience to be influenced in any way. All the research below took place after my visit.
Most experiences at the bunker have been reported from various paranormal investigations over the years – with experiences ranging from poltergeist activity, EVP recordings and apparitions.
Visitors have reported feeling watched when exploring the building and spotting a grey figure of an unusually tall old lady moving from room to room. Other sightings include an RAF officer and a woman in uniform telling people to leave the building. One visitor claimed he heard a disembodied voice in the dormitory, telling him to ‘go back’ – but no one was there.
The sick bay is the main hotspot for paranormal activity. Dark figures have been spotted roaming here, and mediums have picked up on a malevolent presence. The eeriest reports include a very dark and demon-like entity that cloaks people in darkness in the sick bay area of the bunker.
One story claims that when the bunker’s walls were being built day and night, the day shift team turned up to find a foreman’s hat just floating on the wet concrete. The foreman himself was never seen again and was believed to be buried alive.
Unexplained mists, odd odours and even growling have been reported at the bunker in the past.
Most Haunted visited and investigated the bunker in 2009. This episode is definitely worth watching for more information about hauntings and experiences at the bunker.
My Ghost Hunt Experience
Our experience started with a short talk covering a brief history of the location. The team don’t share any history about hauntings as they don’t want people’s minds to be swayed during the night, which I thought was great. We then headed down to what seemed to be a planning room (forgive me, I don’t remember the names of the actual rooms) for a group séance.
Though I knew investigations would be held in the dark, nothing quite prepared me for exploring this whole location in complete darkness, with just a few torches between people. Navigating the halls was tricky (especially as it’s like a maze inside!) but it’s also an entirely different feeling standing in a circle, holding hands (for energy) with looming dark space surrounding you. There are plenty of opportunities to spot things out of the corner of your eye and other stuff to send you on edge.
We soon began. At first, not much happened. But it wasn’t long before we began to hear weird knocking noises and the different equipment began to go off and light up. When the knocking noises formed some sort of signal to our questions – and seemingly began to follow us around the room as if an energy was running around the circle – things began to feel a bit more real.
The following room was a hub of activity. We returned to the cafe before being separated into two smaller groups. My group began by heading over to the sick bay, which was accessed through the boys’ dormitory. Which had a cardboard coffin in it. Naturally.
Here we took part in glass divination – a small glass placed over a battery-operated candle on a table. We all rubbed our hands together for energy and lightly placed a finger on each. Soon the glass began to move. On TV, it looks easy to fake. But when you’re in person, it’s pretty easy to tell when someone is intentionally pushing at a glass. If you concentrate, it’s also pretty easy to feel when it’s actually an energy. The glass began to spin in a way that made it impossible for one of us to be faking it – first clockwise and second anticlockwise, forcing us to move around with the glass.
I won’t go into it too much – especially in case anyone reading this wants to book an investigation themselves at this location – but we definitely had some readings come through. There was a point where we asked questions and due to the nature of the conversation, asked the spirit if they knew the name of a member of our group. The spirit/energy spelt the first name and second name out – only two people within the group knew this man’s second name.
After this, we returned to the first room with an Ouija board, where more messages came through. Here, the energy seemed to like girls and refused to answer any questions unless one of us asked!
Next, we took a break and had our own time to explore. I joined two couples; one couple who were regulars and another who hadn’t been before (it was one of these whose name was spelt out in one of the previous investigations). Not too much happened here – we explored a few different rooms and got a few small things to come through, but that’s it.
I think we had more success in bigger groups. I think this is perhaps because there was more energy. I will also note that apart from the first group investigation, Jamie and Gareth only overlooked the investigations; neither took part.
At around 2am, we separated into our two groups once more and my group decided to try table tipping. Nothing happened here, but as we were all very tired I was not surprised. We tried to coax the spirit, but apart from a few small wobbles, not much happened at all. The earlier group did have a lot of success with their table tipping though, I heard! However, as weird as it sounds, I could very clearly feel an energy here. It felt almost like an energy or spirit was trying – hence the table wobbling. But maybe we just didn’t have enough of our own energy to give at that time of night.
…or maybe it was just all in my head. After all, not everyone believes. I am a firm believer in this stuff and have tried to write this blog post as unbiased as possible. I’m only talking about my own personal experiences. Some people could say all instances could be explained and some people would agree with me.
This wasn’t my first ghost hunt either – I also joined the Most Haunted team at Delapré Abbey, which was a very different (but equally interesting) experience.
Spooky Tips for Visiting
If you’re planning to visit Kelvedon Hatch Bunker, it’s open during the day as a museum as well as for overnight ghost hunts. The bunker is entirely underground, so it stays cold year-round – even in summer – and can feel quite claustrophobic in places. Comfortable shoes are a must, as there’s a lot to explore across multiple levels, and lighting is kept fairly dim in some areas to reflect its original use.
If you’re attending a ghost hunt, be prepared for a late night and a much more immersive experience. The atmosphere can feel very different after dark, especially in quieter areas like the sick bay, which is often considered the most active part of the bunker. Whether you visit by day or night, it’s a fascinating (and slightly eerie) place to explore.
Final Thoughts From a Morbid Tourist
Overall, I had a great time. It was very eye-opening and interesting. Though we didn’t have tons of experience, my visit only made me want to attend more events and learn more about the paranormal. That being said, whether you believe in ghosts or not, the entire evening was so interesting! Exploring the bunker in the dark, and hearing about its history… it was fascinating. We had someone attend who was a massive non-believer. Did he change his mind? No. But did he have a good time? I spoke to him afterwards and he told me how interesting he found the whole evening anyway!
So if you enjoy creepy places, chasing ghosts or just generally trying something new, I can’t help but recommend visiting Kelvedon Hatch or booking a ghost investigation there with Haunted Adventures.
In fact, I’d suggest booking any investigation with them – they are super professional, the events take place all around the UK and are affordable too.
Would you ever visit? In the day or for a ghost investigation? Let me know!
Full disclosure: I attended this investigation free of charge, as I was taking part in a trial run to join the Haunted Adventures team. Sadly, Covid-19 happened not long afterwards and so investigations were paused for a few years after my experience!
Discover More Haunted Places in the UK
If you’re drawn to dark history and haunted locations, here are a few more places to explore across the UK:
Bodmin Jail | Clophill Church | Delapre Abbey | Hellfire Caves | Jamaica Inn | Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker | Museum Of Curiosities | The Skirrid Inn
Haunted Adventures
www.hauntedadventure.co.uk
Tickets from £49 per person
Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker
www.secretnuclearbunker.com
Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood CM15 0LA
£12.00 per adult
There are toliets on-site and free parking, as well as a small café/tuck shop. Tours are self guided with a personal handset. You are recommended to bring cash to pay as a backup, as there is not always WiFi signal so far underground!
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