Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This is how a niche website I built in the early 2000s ended up opening the door to one of Britain's most restricted Cold War bunkers - a place some people like to call the UK's Area 51.
It all started with an unplanned trip to Monkton Farleigh in 2002, a group of friends with more curiosity than sense, and a website called Nettleden.com. What began as a way to document forgotten underground sites grew into a surprisingly popular hub for explorers, researchers, and the mildly obsessed. Along the way there was a bit of controversy, some unexpected media attention, and a BBC Radio 4 documentary that changed the way people saw the whole hobby.
Eventually, all of this led to an invitation from someone who worked deep inside Corsham's underground complex - including the vast former emergency government HQ known as Burlington. No fences were jumped and no spy gear was involved, just years of documenting a hidden part of Britain's history.
If you enjoy forgotten places, Cold War oddities, and stories that snowball into something far bigger than intended, you might like this one.
👉 Get my book 'Hidden, Forbidden & Off-Limits': https://booklink.shop/underground
👉 Visit the Nettleden archive: higgypop.com/urbex
👉 More of my weird projects: higgypop.com/my-stupid-projects
SUBSCRIBE → higgy.be/higgysub
Official website → higgypop.com
Twitter → twitter.com/higgypop
Facebook → facebook.com/higgypopparanormal
Instagram → instagram.com/higgypopparanormal
This is how a niche website I built in the early 2000s ended up opening the door to one of Britain's most restricted Cold War bunkers - a place some people like to call the UK's Area 51.
It all started with an unplanned trip to Monkton Farleigh in 2002, a group of friends with more curiosity than sense, and a website called Nettleden.com. What began as a way to document forgotten underground sites grew into a surprisingly popular hub for explorers, researchers, and the mildly obsessed. Along the way there was a bit of controversy, some unexpected media attention, and a BBC Radio 4 documentary that changed the way people saw the whole hobby.
Eventually, all of this led to an invitation from someone who worked deep inside Corsham's underground complex - including the vast former emergency government HQ known as Burlington. No fences were jumped and no spy gear was involved, just years of documenting a hidden part of Britain's history.
If you enjoy forgotten places, Cold War oddities, and stories that snowball into something far bigger than intended, you might like this one.
👉 Get my book 'Hidden, Forbidden & Off-Limits': https://booklink.shop/underground
👉 Visit the Nettleden archive: higgypop.com/urbex
👉 More of my weird projects: higgypop.com/my-stupid-projects
SUBSCRIBE → higgy.be/higgysub
Official website → higgypop.com
Twitter → twitter.com/higgypop
Facebook → facebook.com/higgypopparanormal
Instagram → instagram.com/higgypopparanormal
