Hidden Second World War plotting room beneath White Cliffs of Dover opens to visitors for first time

From 13 November 2026, visitors to the White Cliffs of Dover will be able to descend into the Fan Bay Plotting Room, a remarkably preserved Second World War operations centre that helped direct the guns defending the Strait of Dover.

Following the fall of France in 1940, Dover became Britain's frontline. With enemy forces occupying the French coast just 21 miles away, the town endured sustained shelling and aerial attacks, earning the name 'Hellfire Corner'. Strengthening Britain's coastal defences became a national priority, championed by Winston Churchill.

Fan Bay Battery formed part of this defensive network. Hidden beneath its guns, deep within the chalk cliffs, the plotting room was the first of its type ever constructed. It once housed pioneering technology used to calculate firing data and coordinate artillery operations. At its heart was the Fire Direction Table, a sophisticated electro-mechanical computer representing some of the most advanced military technology of its time.

Abandoned after the war, the plotting room was eventually buried beneath soil during the 1970s. Rediscovered in 2017, it has since been the focus of years of archaeological investigation, research and conservation by National Trust staff, volunteers and partners.

Alongside the physical work, volunteers have painstakingly researched the lives of those who served at Fan Bay, uncovering personal stories that shed new light on the room's wartime history.

Gordon Wise, National Trust volunteer at the White Cliffs of Dover said:
"Researching the people who worked here has changed how I see the room. A name in a service record, or a detail in a photograph, helps connect the surviving marks on the walls with someone's working day. There are still questions to answer, but each discovery helps us build a clearer picture of the people behind the machinery."

Carefully conserved in its 'as found' state, the Plotting Room retains its peeling paint, wartime graffiti and exposed pipes and ducts, offering an atmospheric glimpse into life underground. Although the original equipment is no longer there, guided tours led by knowledgeable volunteers reveal how the room operated and the people who worked within it. An immersive audio-visual finale helps visitors understand the role this hidden command post played in defending the Strait of Dover.

The new experience adds another chapter to the history of the White Cliffs of Dover, where the National Trust also cares for Fan Bay Deep Shelter, Wanstone Battery and South Foreland Lighthouse, alongside the internationally important chalk grassland that makes this coastline so distinctive.

Jon Barker, National Trust's Senior Community, Participation and Volunteering Manager added: "There's something very special about standing in a place that has changed so little since the people who worked here left. Rather than recreate the past, we've carefully conserved the Plotting Room so visitors can experience it much as we found it, with all the marks of its history still visible.

"It's a rare opportunity to discover a completely different side of the White Cliffs, and a fitting tribute to everyone who has helped bring this remarkable place back into public view."

Tours of the Plotting Room must be booked in advance. For further information and to book a place visit nationaltrust.org.uk/the-white-cliffs-of-dover