tunnels under london.

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http://freespace.virgin.net/roy.smith5/citadel.htm

as i said over on that other thread, allegedly if u hang around the one by the ICA for any length of time, someone official looking will come and ask u what u think u are doing there.

― piscesboy, Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

Mutter, muter, I was just trying to dig out the old one, but couldn't find it. Or maybe it doesn't exist... ::scary wooooo noise::

Search: The Fleet Sewer, natch. And the weird tunnel under Kingsway.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:35 (twenty years ago)

DEATH LINE!!

i think daveB has been on the official tunnels tour

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

kate i think it wz discussed before but never actually threaded

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:37 (twenty years ago)

And of course the magic mini-railway for the post. We were wondering about that while on our Fleet River walk.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

http://www.starfury.demon.co.uk/uground/

photos of the unused tube stations are here.

― piscesboy, Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

What about the deep shelter under Smithfields? Part of it is a parking garage (had to leave it quite swiftly because of fumes and could not explore) but some of it is STORAGE OF MYSTERIOUS DOCUMENTS.

And all those honeycombed secret tunnels under Chancery Lane and surrounds.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

Rowr. Robster has this.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/185414250X.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 10 March 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

this is great btw

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 10 March 2005 16:19 (twenty years ago)

Am I alone in liking sewers better than tubes? I think they're more ~~stinky~~ mysterious!

Smugglers tunnels, priest holes and SECRET FORTIFICATIONS, however, are best of all.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 10 March 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

Those pictures from the Down Street tour are spooky as hell. I love this stuff.

― lock robster (robster), Thursday, 10 March 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

I've got that book too. Tis great.

― caitlin (caitlin), Thursday, 10 March 2005 21:06 (twenty years ago)

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.karslake/mailrail/images/photo13.jpg

I was lucky enough to walk from Mount pleasant to King Edward Building (might even have gone on to liverpool st, can't remember). It was very cool, especially walking past the bit that was next to the fleet, it was all reinforced and you could hear it.

But there's been a mail rail thread before...

― Vicky (Vicky), Friday, 11 March 2005 09:14 (twenty years ago)

A place where you could properly *hear* the River Fleet? Wow!

I'm sure there's lots of other places you can hear it, but it's always covered by train or traffic noise.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Friday, 11 March 2005 09:24 (twenty years ago)

I've not done the Down St or Aldwych tours, sadly. I was on the waiting list and they sent me an invite when I got to the top but I'd not informed them of a change of address so I didn't get it until 3 months later sob sob sob.

That book is great, as are most of the books about bits of underground London. Anyone fancy a walking tour of them? We probably wouldn't be able to get in to any, but we could see the overground buildings praps?

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 11 March 2005 10:25 (twenty years ago)

I always fancy walking tours of weird bits of London! Can we do it ourselves? Or do we have to sign up for some guided tour?

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Friday, 11 March 2005 10:26 (twenty years ago)

There's the disused Finsbury Park-Highgate and alexandra palace line. Not tunneled of course but it's quite a pleasant stroll and one of the few disused lines in London that can be walked along.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 11 March 2005 10:32 (twenty years ago)

Aye. Teh Northern Heights innit. Here's another site on it.

I asked about this before and ended up at Highgate asking the staff whether we could go the abandoined station at Highgate High. He looked shocked that 3 people under 30 who appearred socially functional were making this request. He let us up there and had a few fags whilst we gaily wandered around. It were great.

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 11 March 2005 11:11 (twenty years ago)

You can only imagine what these types of people make of *girls* wanting to poke about in tunnels and stuff. How terribly Freudian.

Sigh... maybe I should sign up for some architecture courses somewhere in London. That's how I used to get to get into all the great tunnels and lost stations in NYC - Cooper Union used to regularly take tours of architecture students down there. It can get you in to almost anything, with a sketchbook and a serious expression and an architecture student ID.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Friday, 11 March 2005 11:21 (twenty years ago)

We walked the section of Northern Heights from Muswell Hill to Ally Pally once - the views from the viaducts are fantastic. We've yet to walk the Highgate -> Finsbury park bit which is a shame cos we only live round the corner from it.

― lock robster (robster), Friday, 11 March 2005 11:35 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I've done Highgate-Finsbury twice now. Not done t'other one.

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 11 March 2005 11:39 (twenty years ago)

If anyone is up for doing the full length, maybe a week on sunday?

― Ed (dali), Friday, 11 March 2005 11:41 (twenty years ago)

Can't do next week on Sunday, but can do this Sunday 13th March if anyone's up fer it?

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 11 March 2005 11:47 (twenty years ago)

Depends on the weather innit, but theoretically yes. We could join peeps coming from Fin Pk in Highgate, what with living there an' t'ing.

xpost nein Dave! We are at the seaside this weekend! But go ahead if you feel like a wander.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 11 March 2005 11:48 (twenty years ago)

Hang on. I r an idiot. I can do next Sunday 20th March. Hurray!

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 11 March 2005 11:57 (twenty years ago)

Brisk neutronbombtastic walk punctuated by bouze and Sunday roast. Marvellous.

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:00 (twenty years ago)

20th March? Yes, indeed, walk would be fantastic!

An appropriate thing for Palm Sunday, instead of walking into Jerusalem, we shall walk into the London tube... (same thing if you've read enough Blake, really.)

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:11 (twenty years ago)

Set a time to meet at Finsbury Park station.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:27 (twenty years ago)

I imagine Blake would have thought the Tube was horribly satanic and hellish. Which is a shame, really.

(my great grandmother was born near to one of the very first tube stations (Stockwell), just a couple of years before it opened)

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:28 (twenty years ago)

Not too early to meet, please. I don't get to watch Hollyoaks in the evenings any more, so I need to catch up on the Sunday omnibus... ;-)

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:41 (twenty years ago)

How about 1pm? We can take a break at 2 for bouze and food on Highgate Hill dogdy boozer before continuing before night falls.

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:43 (twenty years ago)

But 1pm is when the Hollyoaks Omnibus ends! Remember it will take me an hour to get all the way up there. Or perhaps you can all meet at 1 and FAP until I'm done with Hollyoaks.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:44 (twenty years ago)

I think we should reward ourselves with FAP rather than run the risk of being slightly bouzed. How bout 2pm then? Pubs are shite near Finsbury Park anyway.

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

2pm Finsbury Park Station, then? That sounds perfect to me.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

bah i will be in shropshire AGAIN

curse you delinquent carer agency >:(

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

Late Archway Rd lunch then (arrgh, not at the Boogaloo)? We can offer tea and biscuits round at ours if necessary.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 11 March 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

we'll still need to boozy stagger up the rest of the hill to ally pally. (perhap we should do the reverse)

― Ed (dali), Friday, 11 March 2005 13:31 (twenty years ago)

Bring a torch and walk through the SPOOKY TUNNEL. I can't do the 20th which is a pity as I live twenty yards from said walk.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 11 March 2005 13:32 (twenty years ago)

Torches are indeed U&K for the tunnels. And also U&K is why one is locked and one isn't...

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 11 March 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

I'll be along for this, I think.

― RickyT (RickyT), Friday, 11 March 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

I'm confused by the Highgate break in the Parkland Walk - between where you pop out by the library on Shepherds Hill and where it picks up again off Muswell Hill Rd, are you just supposed to meander among suburban streets and through the Queen's Wood? I wot this is the case, but where was the train supposed to go?

Haha Ed, but if you do the reverse, you end up in stinky Finsbury Park (although you can then go bowling - result!).

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 11 March 2005 14:34 (twenty years ago)

Whoops, meant to provide illustrative map link.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 11 March 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

This is a guess but it might have looped around Highgate Wood, branching off from the where the current Northern Line and depot is.

― lock robster (robster), Friday, 11 March 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

http://www.lamppostbooks.com/images/Lamppost-Maze1.jpg

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 11 March 2005 14:42 (twenty years ago)

Muswell Hill is no Nee-naw-nee-naw, mr s. Sadly.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 11 March 2005 14:44 (twenty years ago)

Revive! This is this Sunday, guys.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 17 March 2005 09:31 (twenty years ago)

And hopefully the weather will be as nice as it was yesterday.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 17 March 2005 09:33 (twenty years ago)

Or today! Blimey!

I am hoping that ILX walking is good weather luck.

My Extreme Death Flu seems to have cleared, too!

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 17 March 2005 09:37 (twenty years ago)

Ooh! I want in on this.

― marianna lcl (marianna lcl), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:43 (twenty years ago)

2pm at Finsbury Park station. Outside Rowans to avoid 'which exit at Finsbury park' nonsense?

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 18 March 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

Excellent. *Digs out torch and sword-stick*

― lock robster (robster), Friday, 18 March 2005 09:46 (twenty years ago)

I will be there.

― RickyT (RickyT), Friday, 18 March 2005 09:57 (twenty years ago)

Rock on!

― Dave B (daveb), Friday, 18 March 2005 10:13 (twenty years ago)

I might be there, or I might await you all in Highgate with Kendal Mint Cake and restorative beef tea. Tally-ho!

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 18 March 2005 17:15 (twenty years ago)

This is Sunday, right? Cool. I'm getting confused what with the A to Z Scavenger Hunt on Saturday and all.

Beef tea? Errr, is there a vegetarian version? Can we take Kendall Mint Cakes down the tunnels or will we have to eat COAL?

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Friday, 18 March 2005 17:17 (twenty years ago)

I won't be able to make this now. I've been up half the night coughing and now feel dizzy everytime I stand up, so attempting to walk from Finsbury Park to Highgate wd not be wise. Hope the rest of you have fun.

― RickyT (RickyT), Sunday, 20 March 2005 11:31 (twenty years ago)

This was great! The tunnel was spooky indeed! (Even though I'm slightly disappointed we didn't end up in another dimension.) And the kind man from the tube let us into the spooky abandonned station! That was excellent. In a few hundred years, all of London will look like that, with trees growing through station platforms and all.

All this and piiiiieeee, too. Mmm.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Monday, 21 March 2005 09:34 (twenty years ago)

Here's one of my favourite ever articles, about tunnelling in London, on Joel Biroco's blog.

http://www.biroco.com/arthur.htm

― moley, Monday, 21 March 2005 09:44 (twenty years ago)

Mmm - pie. What an excellent afternoon. Shame about the fog/smog miasma obscuring the view of London from Ally Pally though.

― lock robster (robster), Monday, 21 March 2005 09:49 (twenty years ago)

I kind of liked the idea of the terrible grey maneating fog devouring central London, and us being safe, up on the high hill and cut off so only Muswell Hill and Ally Pally would survive...

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Monday, 21 March 2005 09:51 (twenty years ago)

only Muswell Hill and Ally Pally would survive
That would severely reduce overall London pub quality.

― lock robster (robster), Monday, 21 March 2005 09:57 (twenty years ago)

Well, yeah. But at least we could worship in the Beer Church, though, as we prepare for the coming End Of The World.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Monday, 21 March 2005 09:59 (twenty years ago)

And the kind man from the tube let us into the spooky abandonned station!

Am envious. Damned rhinoviruses.

― RickyT (RickyT), Monday, 21 March 2005 10:20 (twenty years ago)

omg this thread rules

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 21 March 2005 10:26 (twenty years ago)

a few hundred years, all of London will look like that, with trees growing through station platforms and all.

aw, why no pics of the venture?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 21 March 2005 10:44 (twenty years ago)

Because none of the people who took photos have woken up and got online yet! Maybe Ed or Dave will provide...

(Then again, Rob had a camera, but I think it was an Old Skool type with film in it and all.)

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Monday, 21 March 2005 10:46 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, 'fraid mine will need to developed and scanned first. Goddamn prehistoric cameras.

― lock robster (robster), Monday, 21 March 2005 10:56 (twenty years ago)

Highgate High station, looking east:
http://www.boyled.f2s.com/Britain/hhplatform.jpg

Highgate High station - nature reclaims:
http://www.boyled.f2s.com/Britain/nature.jpg

Highgate High station - a recent addition:
http://www.boyled.f2s.com/Britain/hhwall.jpg

― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 21 March 2005 11:06 (twenty years ago)

loving that middle one!

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 21 March 2005 11:11 (twenty years ago)

Your camera's colour balance is very pink, Dave.

What a great walk. Still don't think it felt like 4 and a half miles (uphill, even!).

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 21 March 2005 11:12 (twenty years ago)

I love the way that the trees grew in orderly lines along where the paving stones used to be. One row down the middle, and a row on either side where the edge bit ended.

I was looking at the cracks in the pavement of the Streatham Hill station and noticed that even while it's still in use, moss and weeds and things grow in the same patterns.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Monday, 21 March 2005 11:27 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Grafitti Bridge
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/rob_brennan/London/GrafittiBridge.jpg

Blockheads
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/rob_brennan/London/grafitti.jpg

You are now entering Woo
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/rob_brennan/London/Sign.jpg

Tunnel Vision
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/rob_brennan/London/Tunnel.jpg

Photobucket
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/rob_brennan/London/Bucket.jpg

But where does it go?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/rob_brennan/London/HighgateHigh.jpg

Late Again
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/rob_brennan/London/Trees.jpg

Transmission
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/rob_brennan/London/Transmitter.jpg

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

nice. i'll have to do this walk now.

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:04 (twenty years ago)

i have walked many routes finsbury park-finchley, over time, but there are things i havent seen yet, here. this deserves a reprise, i might walk it at dawn, soon

― charltonlido (gareth), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:12 (twenty years ago)

If anyone does this route again let me know. You can pop in and see me. I only live twenny yards from it (vey near the blockheads)

― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 11 May 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

four weeks pass...

Aaaahhh!!! Aaaaahhhh!!! Nice photos! I missed those somehow.

Anyway, I didn't revive this because of the Highgate Tunnel. I revived it because I have been reading THE BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD!!! about Tunnels under London. Yes, even better than the Trench & Hillman classic!

"Underground London" by Stephen Smith. It's like an adventure book written by a bloke who has been doing all the same sorts of adventures that we have, and more. (Following the River Fleet. Mucking about in Victorian Sewers and lost bits of the Underground. Going down into ACTUAL PLAGUE PITS under Holborn.)

Anyway who likes any of this stuff, go out and get this book now. It's truly amazing. He does a chapter on each era of London, then goes and visits some strange artefact from each era of history. Many of these I think we should try to do!

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Thursday, 9 June 2005 10:00 (twenty years ago)

It's pretty good, that book. I like the underground water reservoirs, personally.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 9 June 2005 10:07 (twenty years ago)

It's certainly better than the Groundwater Diaries. Which did not live up to its promise.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Thursday, 9 June 2005 10:10 (twenty years ago)

I've got your book on my list now Kate! Wish I'd done the walk above with y'all.

― sgs (sgs), Thursday, 9 June 2005 10:18 (twenty years ago)

(I can't actually claim the credit for discovering it. The Spy got it for me "because it seemed so Kate". And yes, it truly is.)

((Oh yes, and don't forget the canal walk on Sunday. Though we have yet to decide starting point and route. I will get on that.))

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Thursday, 9 June 2005 10:21 (twenty years ago)

Yes we have.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 9 June 2005 10:24 (twenty years ago)

Oh, the canal walk. I have a nasty feeling I won't be able to come to that - I think I'm camping Sat night Sunday morning in the New Forest in an ambulance.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Thursday, 9 June 2005 10:25 (twenty years ago)

(I am out of town this weekend so will miss the canal walk, boo.)

― sgs (sgs), Thursday, 9 June 2005 10:30 (twenty years ago)

(Although I will be seeing the famous waterways of another country, heh.)

― sgs (sgs), Thursday, 9 June 2005 10:31 (twenty years ago)

That sounds dirty, SGS!

Camping in the New Forest... I'm jealous.

But argh, Ed, you picked the wrong branch of the canal. We said the PADDINGTON branch. So we can go past Kensal Green Cemetary (Kensal Green is really made from PEOPLE!!!) and Wormwood Scrubs and Rob will have gasometers and The Spy will meet us in a pub along the way.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Friday, 10 June 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

I'm all about the gasometers, yo.

― robster (robster), Friday, 10 June 2005 11:53 (twenty years ago)

So get on the other thread and vote for the Paddington branch!

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Friday, 10 June 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

I broke into the Fleet the other day! and walked underground to Blackfriars! and then nearly died on the way back! It's in Time Out this week - with pictures!

― Pete W (peterw), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 09:59 (nineteen years ago)

Really?!?! I don't believe you. This is a blatant ploy to get me to buy Time Out and I won't.

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 10:46 (nineteen years ago)

i would not lie about such an important thing as the lost rivers of london.

― Pete W (peterw), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 10:51 (nineteen years ago)

It is true. I was flipping through a Time Out today to see where the good chip shops are.

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 11:44 (nineteen years ago)

Wow. I should have looked at it, as I was in a bookshop and all at lunch, actually buying the book on tunnels I mentioned above. Sssshhh, don't tell, it's a birthday present.

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 11:58 (nineteen years ago)

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