A fan of classic Second World War film The Great Escape has spent almost £35,000 building his own bunker in his back garden.
Dave Billings, 43, is following his childhood dream by paying tribute to one of the most famous prison breaks in history, immortalized by Steve McQueen in the classic 1963 film.
He decided to build his own underground bunker and tunnel in his backyard, similar to the one used by Allied prisoners of war who escaped from Stalag Luft III.
Mr Billings, from Derbyshire, said: “I always wanted to find a bunker on the property but when I couldn’t find one I thought I would build one myself.”
“It’s actually a childhood dream.”
David Billings photographed inside his Great Escape-inspired World War II-style bunker
The extensive project involves a tunnel extending 35 feet from the small bunker to a new 320-foot (25 m2) habitable bunker.
Billings meticulously designed the tunnel by hand and plans to line it with wood to replicate the original.
Richard Attenborough and Steve McQueen portrayed in the iconic film The Great Escape
Mr. Billings’ massive DIY project began 11 years ago when he built a small bunker on his property.
Originally, the site had nothing more than an old well, so he built stairs that now lead to his 140-foot (13-square-meter) bunker.
Last year, he embarked on the next phase of his project, a larger bunker that is connected to the first bunker through a 35-foot-long tunnel.
Inspired by the iconic escape tunnel from World War II prison camps, Billings meticulously designed the tunnel by hand and plans to line it with wood to replicate the original.
The extensive project involves a tunnel extending 35 feet from the small bunker to a new 320-foot (25-square-meter) habitable bunker.
Although not yet connected to his house, Billings plans to expand his house closer to the bunker and create a secret door inside his house that will lead directly to the bunker.
Their long-term goal is to create a fully connected underground network linking their house, the tunnel, and a new habitable bunker.
Mr Billings said: ‘I want to be able to walk through the house, down to the bunker, through the tunnel and out of the garden well.
Billings has even built a “beer elevator” disguised as a keg to carry the drinks up to the bunker.
Originally the site had nothing but an old well, so he built stairs that now lead to his 13-square-metre (140 ft) bunker.
‘It’s like a secret passage.
‘Plus, if I have friends, they can use the tunnel without bothering my wife!’
Billings has even built a “beer elevator” disguised as a keg to carry the drinks to the bunker.
He said: ‘I made a keg lift because stairs are difficult to transport things like beers.
“So now I can send them off in style.”
Bilings has spent £30,000 on his new bunker so far and estimates the final cost will be around £35,000.
Dave said: ‘I spent around £4,000 on bricks and then other materials like concrete, waterproofing and insulation.
“Because I build everything myself, I’ve been able to cut costs on a lot of things.”
Bilings has spent £30,000 on his new bunker so far and estimates the final cost will be around £35,000.
Once completed, the bunker will feature a projector, a gaming simulator, and many high-tech gadgets making it the ultimate man cave.
Billings aims to complete the new bunker by Christmas and plans to fill it with extravagant gadgets, including a remote-controlled refrigerator.
He added: “I’m just being stupid. I want to have a refrigerator with a remote control that will bring you a beer.
‘But I haven’t thought about how I would turn that dream into reality.
“I designed everything in computer-aided design, but I have a structural engineer reviewing the specifications.”
Once completed, the bunker will feature a projector, a gaming simulator, and many high-tech gadgets making it the ultimate man cave.
Dave continued: ‘It will never be completely finished.
“I will always be adding new inventions and maybe even another tunnel.”
