UK’s least secure locations as WW3 fears ramp up – secret nuclear bunker to house command

While some of the places on the ‘do not go’ list are very obvious (hello, London), some are less so, such as High Wycombe, which houses the most critical military command-and-control hub in the UK

The spectre of World War 3 seems to be drawing nearer than ever before, thanks to Russia, Donald Trump, Iran, Israel, Ukraine, Manchester City and more. This has left most Brits questioning where they might find sanctuary should a devastating conflict erupt.

While it’s widely understood that locations such as London, Manchester, and particular areas of Scotland that house nuclear arsenals would be primary targets, most of us remain unclear about which spots might offer a secure retreat . . . until now. The Daily Star turned to Google’s AI-powered large language model, Gemini, to identify the most at-risk locations.

Gemini subsequently ranked the top 20 UK cities according to “historical Cold War declassified target lists”, strategic military sites, population density, and infrastructure, allowing us to arrange UK cities from most dangerous to safest…and we’ve compiled it below here.

And while some of these are very obvious (hello, London), some are less so, such as High Wycombe. Many readers might not know that it is one of the most critical military command-and-control hubs in the entire United Kingdom.

All RAF operations, both in the UK and abroad, are controlled and commanded from a base in the area, while the UK’s Space Command and National Air and Space Operations Centre is also in High Wycombe – which makes it a prince target.

And since the late 1930s (when it was built as the secret headquarters for RAF Bomber Command), the site Space Command Centre has heavily relied on underground facilities. During the Cold War, a massive, highly classified second bunker was built specifically to serve as a safe location for the government and military high command to continue operating if the UK was hit by a Russian nuclear strike.

Also, in 2025, declassified documents and historical reports indicated that in the event of an imminent nuclear attack on London, the Prime Minister and key Cabinet members were slated to be evacuated to the nuclear bunker at High Wycombe to maintain a functional government.

Another weird name on the list is Cheltenham, which many people probably don’t realise is where the Government Communications Headquarters is based. In a nuclear conflict, destroying GCHQ would be a top priority for any adversary aiming to cripple the UK’s defense capabilities.

Full list:

• London
• Glasgow
• Cheltenham
• Plymouth
• Portsmouth
• Cambridge
• Reading
• Harrogate
• High Wycombe
• Manchester
• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Liverpool
• Southampton
• Edinburgh
• Hull
• Sheffield
• Leeds
• Belfast
• Newcastle upon Tyne