PIN Chislehurst caves

Tourist Attraction at Chislehurst

The Chislehurst Caves are a labyrinth of man made tunnels - covering approximately 6 hectares and thirty metres under the ground. There 14 qualified guides in the caves that cover all sorts of subjects for groups of up to 40 people.There are also evening tours starting at 7.30 which last for 90 minutes

History

An astonishing maze of underground tunnels and caverns deep under Chislehurst, created by the mining efforts of ancient inhabitants over the course of 8,000 years.

The first mines at Chislehurst were begun around 6000 BCE as our ancestors dug for flint to use in making tools. Those ancient mines were extended in the Roman and Saxon periods to produce a labyrinthan tangle composed of over 20 miles of passages. Later miners searched the chalk soil for deposits of lime for use in plaster and whitewash.

The mines were last worked in the 1830s, but by the late 19th century the caverns and tunnels at Chislehurst had become a popular tourist attraction for Victorian visitors. In WWI the mines were used an an ammunition depot, an outpost of the Woolwich Arsenal. A narrow gauge railway was established to speed up the movement of goods through the tunnels. During WWII the mines were used as a large air raid shelter; in fact, Chislehurst was the largest shelter outside London.

How to get there

The best way to get at the Chislehurst Caves is to take the train to Orpington and get off at Chislehurst - walk 10 minutes and you are there.

Opening times

The Caves are open from Wednesday to Sunday and every day during local school and bank holidays (except Christmas & New Year). The guided tours start from 10:15am to 3:15pm with evening tours commencing at 7.30 pm.

Triptide Thoughts

This is a different kind of activity that you can do, but this is rewarding to learn more about the history of London caves.

Owner

Déborah Casolaro

Hello, my name is Déborah, I am a french student in international trade in south of france and I am starting an internship at Triptide. I chose London because I always dreamed to visit London I think it's a beautiful place. I practice horse riding, ...