Old Barracks / Wellington Grange
Old Barracks / Wellington Grange
Maureen Williams, 82, of Westgate, recalled a school trip into the rumoured tunnels under Chichester when she was at Chichester High School for Girls.
She estimates she was in her early teens at the time and said she chose to share her memories after reading about the search for evidence in this newspaper.
Read more: It was under the Crypt and right next to the cathedral
An Archaeological Evaluation atRoussillon Barracks Chichester, West Sussex
Planning Reference No: CC/10/03490/FUL Phases 1a & 1b Project No: 4861 Site Code: RBC 11ASE Report No: 2011128 OASIS id: archaeol6-102472 By Diccon HartWith contributions by Sarah Porteus Illustrations by Fiona GriffinJune 2011
A number of those readers remembered a story about tunnels underneath Hansford Menswear, also in South Street, so we spoke the shop's owner to find out more Matthew Hansford described a blocked-off passage in cellar of the shop, which he believes may have led to the cathedral
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Max T
I recall that there is a short length of tunnel (blocked off at both ends) under the old White Horse pub in South St. (now Prezzo restaurant, since 2005). Story in the pub was that it was part of a tunnel running from the Cathedral up to the Guildhall in Priory Park. Although the tunnel is there, I was never sure of its true purpose or the truth of its start / finish. Thought that it was worth mentioning it on here though.
DD
I worked at 65 East Street when it was ''Hammick''s Bookshop'' (now Specsavers). We had a trapdoor in the middle of the floor that led down to a tunnel-shaped cellar that seemed to extend through the front of the shop and under the pavement outside. I didn''t see any evidence of it ever having joined another tunnel and imagine that perhaps there was once an opening in the pavement for deliveries.
Historically, to build a house with a simple cellar you would dig out the ground to a depth of around 6ft, the cellar walls would have been constructed with a lining of stone or brick and with a drain for water within the cellar. The floors would have been built up on crushed stone or sand to provide a level surface and paved, usually with flags. Brick paving became more common in later periods.
'Graylingwell Heritage Project', 'graylingwell-heritage-project', '
BENEATH THE WATER TOWER
The Graylingwell Heritage Project has been a community based heritage and arts programme located in Chichester, West Sussex.
The original Victorian buildings had a central boiler house with the water tower which is, after the Cathedral spire, by far the tallest building in Chichester. And if you go up to the Trundle and look down on Chichester, the only two buildings you can see are the Cathedral spire and the Graylingwell water tower.
A number of those readers remembered a story about tunnels underneath Hansford Menswear, also in South Street, so we spoke the shop''s owner to find out more.
Matthew Hansford described a blocked-off passage in cellar of the shop, which he believes may have led to the cathedral
From trying to locate the areas marked on the old maps as smugglers or roman caves at the approc following locations. Our team tried to take photos as best we could.
su 85228 06608 50.8527, -0.7906
su 85255 06596 50.8526, -0.7902
su 85249 06577 50.8524, -0.7903
su 85248 06565 50.8523, -0.7903
su 85329 06661 50.8532, -0.7892
su 85359 06657 50.8531, -0.7887