Hole Opens in Crooms Hill
Folks I’ll update this as I hear more – this is being tweeted by Robert Gray and I’m stuck in work, so it will all be very piecemeal for a while.
Apparently a hole has appeared halfway up Crooms Hill by the park. There is a network of tunnels, of course, running between the park and Hyde Vale, so I’m guessing it could be something like that. It’s just about 10″ wide at the moment but on past experience holes on Blackheath and Trinity Grove have ended up horse – and car – sized.
As I can’t get there just now, I don’t know exactly where it is, but I’ll place money on it being here:
which is where the Hyde Vale Conduit crosses the road on its way to the park. Just for bearings, Our Lady Star of the Sea is just above the arrow.
If I were King Phantom I would be using this as an excuse to look into opening these medieval/ 18th century tunnels up as a tourist attraction but my major worry now is that the Olympic guys will panic and fill-in the passageways rather than change their plans. That would be cultural vandalism on a large scale indeed.
Sadly by the time Ian got to it it had all been filled in. Interestingly it also looks like it might just be a natural hole (Greenwich is a veritable Swiss cheese of a place) as it’s just outside the church rather than further up it, which is where the map would have put it:
Thanks Ian.
The other pictures are from Stephen, thanks very much indeed. Stephen tells me the workmen told him it was about a metre deep and two metres square, which sounds even less like a tunnel.
More news as I hear it…
…though Stephen was unimpressed. He said that it was “Making a Blackheath out of a Crooms Hill. And he may have a point. Sounded exciting while it was happening though.
the attachments to this post:
Crooms Hill hole low 2
Crooms Hill hole low 3
Crooms Hill hole 1
Crooms Hill hole 4
280743826 ian
Map of Hyde Vale Conduit low colour
Does this mean that the idiots planning to trash the park with tons of people, horses and ‘temporary’ structures may now take note about the potential damage to the conduits?
Get Dr Per von S on the case…
The Greenwich Council contracts said ” They are looking into the hole”
It is right opposite the Church. Bang on Phantom!11.30 am
scared of chives- yes this is very worrying!
The folks at ‘Subterranean Greenwich and Kent’ have been warning of the dangers of ignorance of what lies beneath our feet – so sad that they haven’t been allowed to explore and map the maze of conduits and caverns for research, preservation and public safety, and of course so that the public vould have some limited access (Jack Cade’s Cavern should be reopened to the public!).
I fear a smaller scale repeat of the Blackheath Hill hole of 2002.
off for a quick nosey at it now..
I will value any photos, guys. I am stuck in work today and can’t get out. It’s driving me mad!
See if we can get you some pics.
I know retirement age is being raised,but to WORK when one has “past over” Dear Phantom!!!
Don’t worry too much Robert – I’ve asked a couple of people. It’s just so frustrating not to be able to get there myself!
http://twitpic.com/4n5bbm
By St Alfreges – filled in now.
Our Lady Star of the Sea, further up the hill.
Whoops, got my Churchs mixed up, sorry folks
Well,All very exciting.Yes. Ten years ago I sold my tiny cottage in Trinity Grove. The day we exchanged a little hole appeared ( about 10″) four weeks later. The week I moved out there was a hole you could have lost a long wheelbase Land Rover.
“about a metre deep and two metres square, which sounds even less like a tunnel.”
Without going into all the details which Per von Scheibner does very entertainingly
http://tinyurl.com/37sm3qy
conduit collapses happen in different ways.