Under a parking lot in London, United Kingdom, sits an unexpected marvel: an 22-mile-long underground cave system. Known as the Chislehurst Caves and located in the southeast borough of Bromley, they’re entirely manmade and have a long and storied history. Beginning as chalk and flint mines, they’ve had various purposes and are now open to guided tours.
Early use of the Chislehurst Caves
The exact origin date for the Chislehurst Caves is unknown.
Back in the early 20th century, archaeologist William Nichols hypothesized that they may have been dug by the Druids, Romans and Saxons. This was largely accepted as the caves‘ creation date, but more research suggests a different answer. The earliest mention of the mines and the lime-burning kilns above was in a 9th-century Saxon charter, but they weren’t mentioned again until 1232.
It’s now believed the caves were used most actively in the 18th and 19th centuries, as the earliest documented evidence of a chalk mine dates back to 1737. In their final working years, they produced lime, and they eventually closed in the 1860s.
Later, during the 1920s and ’30s, they were used to grow mushrooms.
Use during the Blitz
The Chislehurst Caves were given a new purpose when London was targeted by the Germans during the Blitz. They were cleaned and equipped with electricity and running water to transform them into a massive air raid shelter containing hundreds of beds, multiple canteens, a hospital and even a cinema. They were able to keep 15,000 people safe throughout the Luftwaffe bombings.
Known as the Chislehurst Hotel, the caves opened to the public every night at 7:00 PM. Adults were charged six pence, while kids paid thruppence a week to stay.
It was extremely popular for providing safety during such a tumultuous time. With so many people, the facilities quickly became overwhelmed – particularly the toilets. To address the issue, guests brought their own containers to relieve themselves through the night. However, this posed its own problem, as people would accidentally knock over the buckets at night after the lights were turned off, causing a whole crap-ton of mess (see what we did there?).
Other events inside the Chislehurst Caves
Following the close of the Second World War, the Chislehurst Caves saw another transformation as they became a popular music venue from the 1950s-80s. Big names, like David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones played within them – Led Zeppelin even held a record launch party there! It was clear they were popular, and they soon became available for hosting a plethora of non-music related events, such as birthday parties.
The Chislehurst Caves have also seen their fair share of screen time, serving as the backdrop for many films and television shows. Most notably, they appeared in a 1972 episode of Doctor Who (1963-89), titled “The Mutants,” as well as an episode in a series called Seven Natural Wonders, where they were described as one of the wonders of London. In film, they were featured in titles, such as Beat Girl (1960), The Tribe (1998) and Inseminoid (1981).
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These days, the Chislehurst Caves remain open to the public. They’re available for rent for private parties, as well as children’s birthday celebrations.
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