A singular happening lay behind the prosaic news on saturday that the chuichester and District League football fixture, Summersadale VS Boxgrove, had o be postponed owing to the ground on this hill suburb of Chichester being unfit.
It seems that the groundsman was busy on Saturday morning clearing the ground of litter when his shhovel sank through through the turf near the northern touch-line. He prodded the spot, when, to his surprise the ground onllapoed. disclosing a circular sort of oavern. when the news spread, a number of poeople clambered into the hole and peered into the depths of what appears to be a subterranean passage, to much blocked with earth, however, to permit of exploration. The origin or significance of the cave is a mystery , although the usual series of theories is being advanced., one of the most plausible being that it has some connection with the old smugglers caves and passenges which exist in various parts of the lavant district, once a famouse centre for lawless bands of cargo runners
I have an update on the old newspaper article relating to Summersdale and the tunnel found under a football pitch. I sent an email to the Summersdale Residents Association, and they were extremely helpful with one of the members being able to identify a location for the site of the pitch. Looking at some old maps and combining the documents from Liam Mandville regarding subsidence etc. the area between The Avenue and Highland Road (on the Eastern side), does fit well as to the location. Many of the properties built on this site have substantial gardens so there may still be something to find that could explain what was found by the groundkeeper all those years ago? ,
Random articles of interest
researching properties using the council planning system
An introduction to researching properties
Russilon Barracks
The Chichester SMR holds information for 48 sites, whilst the National Monuments Record Centre holds details of a further 16 sites within the study area. An additional four sites were located through analysis of historic mapping and during the course of the walkover survey and one from aerial photographs. Full site descriptions and locations can be seen in Appendix B. Within the report, the bracketed numbers after site descriptions relate to those allocated to individual sites in Appendix B and on Figure 2.
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.
Archaeological Evaluation at Lower Graylingwell, Chichester
Archaeological and Historical Background 2.1.1 An Archaeological Desk-based Assessment was produced for the site in 2014 (AMEC 2015), and a summary of the key findings are reproduced below. 2.1.2 A small Palaeolithic handaxe was found in an evaluation 150m east of the site. There are no records of Mesolithic finds within 500m of the site. 2.1.3 Early Neolithic pits containing pottery and flintwork were found at Baxendale Avenue some 150m south of the site, and four small pits, one containing later Neolithic pottery, during evaluation a
ON THE south side of East Street, close to the Market Cross, lies number 92 which up until fairly recently was The Royal Arms public house (also known as Ye Olde Punch House).
Although the façade dates to the Georgian era, the building is of a timber-framed construction said to date from the 16th century.
Much of the original building survives including highly decorated plaster ceilings displaying the Tudor Rose and fleur-de-lis.
It was once a private town house belonging to the Lumley family of Stansted.
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
