A British man has spent 11 years turning the garden of his Derbyshire home into an underground space inspired by World War II escape tunnels.
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man → spend → tunnels
Dave Billings, 43, has built two bunkers connected by a 35-foot passage, along with a lift disguised as a beer keg to carry drinks underground.
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Billings → build → drinks
By October 2024, he had spent around £30,000 on the project and expected the final construction cost to reach £35,000.
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cost → spend → 35,000
According to The Sun's report, the underground rooms weren't yet connected to his bungalow, but Billings had plans to change that.
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Billings → accord → that
He wants to create a concealed entrance inside his home, allowing him to reach the bunkers without stepping outside.
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him → want → bunkers
The proposed route would eventually lead through the tunnel and back into the garden through an old well.
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route → propose → well
For Billings, a fabricator, the project began with an interest in the history of his property.
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project → begin → property
His home stands on land that was once part of a World War II army base.
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that → stand → base
He had hoped to discover an existing bunker there, but when he found none, he decided to build one.
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he → hop → one
“I’ve always wanted to find a bunker on the property, but when I didn’t I thought I’ll build one myself.
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I → want → one
It’s a bit of a childhood dream, really,” he told DerbyWorld.
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he → ’ → DerbyWorld
Small underground room becomes larger project
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room → become → ?
The first stage of construction began around 2013.
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stage → begin → 2013
At the time, the garden contained an old well, which Billings incorporated into his plans.
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Billings → contain → plans
He constructed stairs leading down to a bunker measuring approximately 13 square metres.
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He → construct → metres
But Billings eventually decided that he wanted something bigger.
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he → decide → something
In 2023, he began work on a second bunker, this time with approximately 25 square metres of space.
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he → begin → space
He decided to connect it to the existing bunker.
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He → decide → bunker
This meant digging a tunnel stretching 35 feet between the two structures.
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This → mean → structures
The idea came partly from The Great Escape, the 1963 film based on the escape of Allied prisoners of war from Stalag Luft III during World War II.
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idea → come → II
The prisoners had dug underground passages in an attempt to escape captivity.
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prisoners → dig → captivity
Billings wanted to recreate the appearance of those tunnels, including wooden lining along the passage.
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Billings → want → passage
A hidden entrance and an unusual way to deliver beer
The tunnel is only one part of the underground arrangement Billings hoped to create.
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Billings → hide → arrangement
His longer-term plan involved extending his bungalow closer to the bunker and installing a secret door that would provide access from inside the house.
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that → involve → house
This would make it possible to enter the underground rooms from the bungalow, move through the connecting passage and return to the surface through the well.
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it → make → well
Billings also wanted visitors to be able to use the underground route without disturbing other people in the house.
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visitors → want → house
There is already another feature designed to make life below ground more convenient.
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life → be → ground
Carrying drinks down the stairs proved difficult, so Billings constructed a lift that resembles a beer barrel.
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that → carry → barrel
The device allows him to lower drinks into the bunker without having to carry them down himself.
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him → allow → them
It is among the more unusual additions to a project that began as a simple underground shelter.
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that → begin → shelter
Construction costs and plans for finished bunker
Despite carrying out the construction himself, Billings has spent a substantial amount on materials.
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Billings → finish → materials
According to The Sun, around £4,000 went towards bricks, while concrete, waterproofing and insulation added to the overall cost.
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concrete → accord → cost
His decision to do much of the work without hiring builders has helped reduce expenses.
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decision → hire → expenses
He also prepared the designs using Computer-aided design, with a structural engineer checking the specifications.
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engineer → prepare → specifications
By October 2024, the project had cost approximately £30,000.
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project → cost → 30,000
Billings estimated that completing the new bunker would bring the total to around £35,000.
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completing → estimate → 35,000
Billings also planned to install a projector and gaming simulator, along with other electronic devices.
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Billings → plan → devices
One of his ideas involved a remote-controlled fridge that could travel towards a person carrying a beer.
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that → involve → beer
At the time of the reports, he had not worked out how to make the device.
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he → work → device
Billings was aiming to finish the larger bunker by Christmas 2024, although he did not expect the project to end there.
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project → aim → Christmas
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
