Wednesday, 26 August 2015

Chislehurst Caves

Dreary weather this week after glorious Saturday, and so-so Sunday, so looked for some different types of places to go.

Just down from Greenwich is Chislehurst caves, which is an amazing series of man made tunnels hidden basically in suburbia!

There is some mythology about it being usedby Druids, and the Romans, but appears that they were used from mid 18th century for chalk mining. Although that does not stop people still stating their age as earlier.

In any case there are 22 miles of tunnels, and during the First World War were used to store munitions, then used for mushroom farming. During the Second World War they provided shelter to 15,000 people from the blitz!



Chapel

A whole city was set up including a chapel, hospital and canteen. After the war it then was unused until during the 60s and 70s somebody had the idea to use it as a band venue. This was popular and artists such as David Bowie, Status Quo, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd played there!


Bandstand


As all things must pass, it was closed due to Health and Safety, and since that time has been used as a site for movies and TV shows.


Simulated digs during war

It was an interesting day out, and proved a tad scary for some of the tour when the guide left us in complete blackness and belted a tin drum to hear the echoes down the cave. Eerie reverberations, and combined with the ghost stories he had told left a few a tad shaken.

A bit of history I always good,and so I meandered home and had late dinner with the girls. 

Weather appears to have set in for a couple of days, so I will stay wrapped up, and have friends Dave and Sarah arriving tomorrow, so things should get busy.

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