Chislehurst Caves

Chislehurst Caves are a network of man-made tunnels and caverns covering about 35 kilometres in the London Borough of Bromley. The tunnels were dug for chalk, flint and lime-burning from the 13th century until the 19th century. They were later used as an ammunition store during the First World War and for mushroom farming in the 1930s. The caves lie close to Chislehurst railway station, making them easy to reach. During the Second World War they became an air-raid shelter for up to 15,000 people, complete with electric lighting, toilets and a chapel. The caves have played parts in television, film and music. Episodes of Doctor Who and Most Haunted were filmed here, as were scenes for several feature films. Bands such as Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie performed in the caves during the 1960s. The caves also hosted skiffle and rock shows with artists like Lonnie Donegan and Gene Vincent. A chapel built inside the tunnels records one child born there in 1944, christened Cavena Wakeman. Visitors walk through the intersecting tunnels and caverns, some named after supposed Druid altars or Roman features. Electric lights still mark the paths used by wartime shelterers. The tunnels show signs of lime kilns and engine houses from the 19th century. Tour guides point out the chapel and hospital built for the wartime residents. The caves also appear in programmes about London’s natural wonders and ghost investigations.