Network of Victorian tunnels discovered under massive Surrey sinkhole

A huge network of Victorian tunnels has been discovered near a large sinkhole in a quiet Surrey village.

Residents in over 30 homes in Godstone were evacuated after part of the high street collapsed overnight on February 17.

Now a network of abandoned sand mines surrounding the hole, which grew to a staggering 19 metres in length. A second hole opened up days after the first.

It has now been revealed that engineers have discovered a set of 150-year-old tunnels eight metres under the road.

Lloyd Allen, infrastructure manager at Surrey County Council, said at a public meeting last night that engineers had discovered the old subterranean structures at the junction of the High Street and Salisbury Road during the course of investigating the huge sinkholes.

He said: ‘Currently, we’re investigating the Victorian tunnels, plotting them to see the extent of them and where they go.

‘There’s a layer in areas between eight and 10 metres down under the surface where we’re finding a clear indication – we’ve got video evidence of a tunnel that’s been put there over 150 years ago.’

Teams are conducting laser surveys in the tunnels to understand their extent. Any bends in the tunnels would need to be investigated further as the lasers only scan in straight lines, Mr Allen said.

He added that the tunnel helped explain where the collapsed rubble from the sink hole went.

‘I can tell you that the video cameras we’ve sent down it’s been difficult to control at eight metres depth – it’s a manned remote control camera. We’ve literally pointed it in and had a look around. But we have seen some evidence of the material that has migrated out of the collapsed hole on that section. It looks like that’s where the material has gone.’

Despite ‘taking a bit of a hit’, Mr Allen confirmed the town’s fibre was still functioning and the council was working with Virgin to very gently put cables back in place.

Engineers are also working on a north-south route for pedestrians, which should open over the next ‘few weeks’, he said.

However, some residents complained that the council had taken months to discover what they already knew about the village’s history of mine tunnels.

According to the website Godstone Village, sandstone was quarried under the North Down’s from the 17th century. The industry ceased in 1900 when bricks and other more durable types of stone became more commonly used to construct homes.

In the early 20th century, the land was then used to grow mushrooms.

During the Second World War, plans were submitted to make use of the passages as underground shelters to be connected via four exits to a proposed evacuation camp.

An article in the Daily Telegraph in 1939 said that Home Office officials were seriously considering the scheme to use the caves, which would provide protection ‘against the heaviest bombs known’.

One local wrote on Facebook: ‘It’s common knowledge & everyone told them, but they chose to ignore it.’

‘So it has taken the navel-gazing bellends from the council 5 months to confirm what anyone who knows anything about Godstone already knew. Outstanding’ , commented another.

The sinkhole has also effect the supply of water to homes, while those forced to relocate faced uncertainty on their bills.

Evacuated residents will receive £100 in compensation and have their standing charges waived for the whole year, SES water confirmed.

Claire Coutinho, the MP for East Surrey, said it had been an ‘anxious’ time for residents.

She said: ‘We do know, during this time, there are so many other challenges that people are facing. Parking, speeding because you’ve got traffic coming off the motorway. Lots of people worried about their personal finances, people who want to sell, move home and really take control of their lives.’

She added: ‘The quicker that we can get answers for people and get the work done, the better.’

Surrey County Council said at a public meeting last night that it hoped to have repair works fully complete by December.

A spokesperson for the local authority told the Metro: ‘We hope to have the road re-opened during December this year, but our focus will be on ensuring the road is safe to use so the exact date will be confirmed once we are fully assured of this.’

The Metro has contacted Historic England for comment.

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