When someone visits me in London and asks to do some sightseeing, there’s one place I always end up taking them. It’s an attraction off the beaten path, so much so it’s not nearly as well known as it should be: The Chislehurst Caves.
This post is somewhat devoid of photos due to the fact photography isn’t allowed in the caves. But it’s dark down there anyway, pitch black in fact. It’s why on arrival everyone gets given an oil lantern to light the way, just as people using the caves in the past would have had.
And whilst the caves at Chislehurst are old, they’re not natural. In fact, they’re completely dug out by humans, dating from the 13th century and they sprawl all over the area stretching for a staggering 22 miles (35 km). It’s also not beyond reason there could be further passages which haven’t yet been discovered.
In actuality this remarkable cave network consists of three separate sections linked by connecting passages. If you visit (and you should) then the hour-long tour follows a predefined route which covers only a small section of the 22 miles but focusses on the most interesting historical locations.
Whilst the caves have existed for 8,000 years and originally came about in order to mine chalk, the most interesting history is more recent. It was in Edwardian times (at the start of the 20th century) when the caves first became an attraction. They also found themselves as a concert venue where the echoing walls were found to enhance the voices of the performers.
During the First World War the caves were used to store ammunition and between the wars they were used for extensive mushroom farming. But it was during the Second World War where the caves found their calling as a long term underground shelter. In fact so successful was this function that the caves became a de facto underground city for families evacuated from other parts of the country. You’ll find much of the tour focuses on this era of the caves, and it’s fascinating.
Following the war, the Chislehurst Caves became a music venue once again, and you can visit the main stage where the likes of Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Jimmy Hendrix once performed. The caves were also used for television filming including the Doctor Who serial “The Mutants” featuring Jon Pertwee.
Alongside the caves’ long history the guides have plenty of folktales to tell, most notably stories of the many ghosts supposed to inhabit the endless caverns, and you’ll hear some spooky and sometimes unsettling stories during the tour.
One of my favourite parts of the experience is when the guide briefly takes away everyone’s lanterns to demonstrate the pitch darkness in the caves. There’s a genuine eeriness to seeing someone walk away with the lights as you’re all left in absolute black. The moment’s pièce de résistance is when the guide uses a hammer to hit a large metal drum in the adjacent corridor causing a deafeningly loud thunderous bang to rumble through the caverns. It’s quite an experience. (Note the guide does give plenty of warning for people to cover their ears, and on tours with small children they don’t take away the lanterns.)
I’ve visited so many times over the years, and the tour has remained virtually unchanged, even down to the stories the guides tell. But then why mess with a winning formula? The caves are a bit off the beaten track, but even in a city full of more attractions than you can count, the Chislehurst Caves stand out as one of the most unique. You’re also more likely to run into other Londoners when visiting rather than tourists.
And don’t forget to bring an extra layer of clothing, no matter how hot the weather is outside. It really does get cold down there!
Getting There
The caves are within a 5 minute walk of Chislehurst Station on the South Eastern Main Line. The most frequent trains depart from Charing Cross, Waterloo East, London Bridge and Orpington. Less frequent trains also go from Cannon Street, New Cross or Lewisham.
The official website is here.
In researching this article I used “Chislehurst Caves: A Short History” by Eric Inman.
