Wardrobe 'X'
Most countries have secret locations used during periods of hostile activity - Germany used to have the Brocken Mountain monitoring complex, in France there are the amazing La Cupole underground rocket sites while closer to home, places like Dean Hill in Hampshire, used until recently to store weapons.
Most of these sites are now public knowledge, indeed some are now open for the public to visit. However, some sites remain secret - kept in reserve for use in the event of any future hostilities.
One of these secret sites nestles deep in the Staffordshire countryside, near to the edge of Cannock Chase. In an anonymous house on a modern estate is hidden 'Wardrobe X' - from the outside just like any standard wardrobe, but open the doors and its secrets are revealed.
The anonymous entrance to Wardrobe X
Opening the doors is like walking into another world. Instead of revealing piles of clothes, you enter a huge bunker, fully equipped for any emergency. Surrounded by concrete to sustain any attack, 'Wardrobe X' has its own generator to supply power for up to 12 weeks, its own kitchen, 2 dormitories and a fully equipped computer room. There is also a large open plan area for general use. Once inside, anyone could remain safely for weeks without the need to come out.
Large equipment can be moved securely in and out of 'Wardrobe X' by rail - a short branch line near the engine shed on the 'Tat Bank Railway' provides a discreet - yet highly reliable - means of transportation.
Open plan area inside Wardrobe X
Inside the Computer Room