Network of abandoned Victorian tunnels discovered 26ft under giant sinkhole that opened up on ordinary-looking street
A GIANT sink hole has revealed an underground network of Victorian mining tunnels.
Engineers working at the site, on Godstone High Street in Surrey, were shocked when they stumbled upon the discovery.
8
The first sinkhole appeared in February
Credit: Reuters
8
More sinkholes appeared shortly afterwards
Credit: EPA
8
A network of Victorian tunnels may be partly to blame for the major collapse
Credit: SWNS
The huge collapse, which
Experts who are repairing the street say these sand mining networks may hold the key to what caused the sinkhole.
But residents in the area claim they have been "left in the dark" over when construction will be complete, as reported by the BBC.
Businesses in the area also continue to be negatively impacted by the major collapse.
Read More
Local authorities shared their hopes the road would be reopened by December this year.
Lloyd Allen, infrastructure manager at Surrey County Council, said: "Currently, we're investigating the Victorian tunnels, plotting them to see the extent of them and where they go.
"We'll likely be finished by the early part of December, but there's a lot of reconnecting services and redoing water mains, gas mains and electric cables."
Mr Allen added how the tunnels "puts one of the pieces into place" over why the sinkhole unfolded.
Most read in The Sun
Although there are still "several scenarios" that have been put forward about the cause.
Shane Fry, who runs a garage on the high street, told the BBC the sinkhole has slashed his profits by a third.
"They said they would keep us up to date, but this hasn't happened," he said.
"We need to know. It will benefit everyone in the area."
Meanwhile, Will McLean, owner of a residential windows and doors company claimed the disaster has "reduced footfall to virtually zero".
And coffee shop owner Sami Bristow, shared how her income is down about 20% compared to last year.
8
The first sinkhole grew to a length of 20m (65ft)
Credit: EPA
8
The two massive sinkholes have caused havoc in the tiny village
Credit: EPA
8
Work taking place around the sinkhole should be completed by December
Credit: LNP
"It has been hard-hitting especially with inflation and all the other things that small businesses are having to cope with," she added.
Matt Furniss, cabinet member for highways at Surrey County Council, said: "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."
Catherine Sayer, Tandridge District Council leader, added: "Things are moving as fast as they can.
"The key thing is to get everything back to normal as quickly as possible."
Locals have been allowed back into their homes after a risk assessment deemed it safe to do so.
Christine Duncan, 57, who has lived in her home just outside the cordon for over two decades, says she is still in shock at what has happened.
She said: "My husband was down the pub and saw a trickle of water. Then the sinkhole just suddenly appeared.
"I have lived here for 24 years, and I have never seen anything like this before. I am still in shock. I can't make heads or tails of it.
"I think it is to do with the amount of lorries that drive through here. We are only a small village.
Is your property at risk from a sinkhole?
There are thousands of natural sinkholes, also known as dolines, in the UK, particularly in the upland areas of northern
England
, according to the British Geological Survey.
By and large, these are not actively subsiding, but occasionally new sinkholes form, particularly after heavy rain.
Built up areas can be at risk and it is believed sinkholes are becoming more common in the UK, partly due to extreme rainfall, which scientists have linked to climate change.
Dr Andrew Farrant of the BGS, says: 'By their very nature, collapse
features
caused by burst pipes or collapsed infrastructure are mostly likely to occur in built up areas or beneath roads, and could happen in other areas with similar geology and aging infrastructure.
'Many recent sinkholes have been caused by collapses of old sewers or culverts, such as the sinkhole near Merthyr Tydfil last December.
'There have been other recent instances of sinkholes due to flushing out of sands and weak sandstones, for example the sinkhole that closed Storrington High Street last October.'
"I am very worried about how long it is going to take to fix the road. My main concern is that there are a lot of vulnerable people around here and there is a care home just down the road."
Graham Brookes, 94, has lived in his nearby home for nine years - but says he has been involved in the area for decades.
He agreed that the main worry is for older people who will have to walk a long way to get around the cordon.
He added: "We realised something was wrong because the water pressure was down. Then we found out what had happened and realised how lucky we were to still have water.
"It is not going to be an easy job to fix. It will affect everyone coming into Godstone.
"The village will be very badly impacted by this. But we will get through it. It will mainly effect older people because they will have to walk all the way around.
"The local businesses will also be hit hard as they can't get vans in.
"It has already impacted the amount of people around. I went to the supermarket earlier and the car park was half empty when it is normally packed."
Paul Ryan, 53, has lived in his home on the High Street for nine years.
He said: "For the first 24 hours it was a major inconvenience. I was quite surprised, but this has been on the cards for a while.
"The locals have been worried for a while about the HGVs going through the village. They use this road as a bypass to the M25 and come down at 60mph."
A 40-year-old local, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "We were without water for a considerable amount of time.
"We thought that water would be delivered to us but instead we had to go to a water station.
"Our water finally came back on at about 3am this morning.
"It is a very scary situation. The sinkhole is huge so we are quite worried that we are going to be evacuated.
"The sinkhole will probably get even bigger which is terrifying. It is just a very upsetting time."
8
Locals continue to be affected by the sinkholes
Credit: Reuters
8
Business owners say their income has been dramatically impacted
Credit: PA
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The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Network of abandoned Victorian tunnels discovered 26ft under giant sinkhole that opened up on ordinary-looking street
A GIANT sink hole has revealed an underground network of Victorian mining tunnels. Engineers working at the site, on Godstone High Street in Surrey, were shocked when they stumbled upon the discovery. 8 The first sinkhole appeared in February Credit: Reuters 8 More sinkholes appeared shortly afterwards Credit: EPA 8 A network of Victorian tunnels may be partly to blame for the major collapse Credit: SWNS The huge collapse, which Experts who are repairing the street say these sand mining networks may hold the key to what caused the sinkhole. But residents in the area claim they have been "left in the dark" over when construction will be complete, as reported by the BBC. Businesses in the area also continue to be negatively impacted by the major collapse. Read More Local authorities shared their hopes the road would be reopened by December this year. Lloyd Allen, infrastructure manager at Surrey County Council, said: "Currently, we're investigating the Victorian tunnels, plotting them to see the extent of them and where they go. "We'll likely be finished by the early part of December, but there's a lot of reconnecting services and redoing water mains, gas mains and electric cables." Mr Allen added how the tunnels "puts one of the pieces into place" over why the sinkhole unfolded. Most read in The Sun Although there are still "several scenarios" that have been put forward about the cause. Shane Fry, who runs a garage on the high street, told the BBC the sinkhole has slashed his profits by a third. "They said they would keep us up to date, but this hasn't happened," he said. "We need to know. It will benefit everyone in the area." Meanwhile, Will McLean, owner of a residential windows and doors company claimed the disaster has "reduced footfall to virtually zero". And coffee shop owner Sami Bristow, shared how her income is down about 20% compared to last year. 8 The first sinkhole grew to a length of 20m (65ft) Credit: EPA 8 The two massive sinkholes have caused havoc in the tiny village Credit: EPA 8 Work taking place around the sinkhole should be completed by December Credit: LNP "It has been hard-hitting especially with inflation and all the other things that small businesses are having to cope with," she added. Matt Furniss, cabinet member for highways at Surrey County Council, said: "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." Catherine Sayer, Tandridge District Council leader, added: "Things are moving as fast as they can. "The key thing is to get everything back to normal as quickly as possible." Locals have been allowed back into their homes after a risk assessment deemed it safe to do so. Christine Duncan, 57, who has lived in her home just outside the cordon for over two decades, says she is still in shock at what has happened. She said: "My husband was down the pub and saw a trickle of water. Then the sinkhole just suddenly appeared. "I have lived here for 24 years, and I have never seen anything like this before. I am still in shock. I can't make heads or tails of it. "I think it is to do with the amount of lorries that drive through here. We are only a small village. Is your property at risk from a sinkhole? There are thousands of natural sinkholes, also known as dolines, in the UK, particularly in the upland areas of northern England , according to the British Geological Survey. By and large, these are not actively subsiding, but occasionally new sinkholes form, particularly after heavy rain. Built up areas can be at risk and it is believed sinkholes are becoming more common in the UK, partly due to extreme rainfall, which scientists have linked to climate change. Dr Andrew Farrant of the BGS, says: 'By their very nature, collapse features caused by burst pipes or collapsed infrastructure are mostly likely to occur in built up areas or beneath roads, and could happen in other areas with similar geology and aging infrastructure. 'Many recent sinkholes have been caused by collapses of old sewers or culverts, such as the sinkhole near Merthyr Tydfil last December. 'There have been other recent instances of sinkholes due to flushing out of sands and weak sandstones, for example the sinkhole that closed Storrington High Street last October.' "I am very worried about how long it is going to take to fix the road. My main concern is that there are a lot of vulnerable people around here and there is a care home just down the road." Graham Brookes, 94, has lived in his nearby home for nine years - but says he has been involved in the area for decades. He agreed that the main worry is for older people who will have to walk a long way to get around the cordon. He added: "We realised something was wrong because the water pressure was down. Then we found out what had happened and realised how lucky we were to still have water. "It is not going to be an easy job to fix. It will affect everyone coming into Godstone. "The village will be very badly impacted by this. But we will get through it. It will mainly effect older people because they will have to walk all the way around. "The local businesses will also be hit hard as they can't get vans in. "It has already impacted the amount of people around. I went to the supermarket earlier and the car park was half empty when it is normally packed." Paul Ryan, 53, has lived in his home on the High Street for nine years. He said: "For the first 24 hours it was a major inconvenience. I was quite surprised, but this has been on the cards for a while. "The locals have been worried for a while about the HGVs going through the village. They use this road as a bypass to the M25 and come down at 60mph." A 40-year-old local, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "We were without water for a considerable amount of time. "We thought that water would be delivered to us but instead we had to go to a water station. "Our water finally came back on at about 3am this morning. "It is a very scary situation. The sinkhole is huge so we are quite worried that we are going to be evacuated. "The sinkhole will probably get even bigger which is terrifying. It is just a very upsetting time." 8 Locals continue to be affected by the sinkholes Credit: Reuters 8 Business owners say their income has been dramatically impacted Credit: PA
Irish Independent
2 days ago
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Diarmuid Gavin: The Waterford gardener who became one of the 19th century's most influential horticulturalists
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Together, they shaped the Arts and Crafts movement in gardening, a gentler, more human vision of landscape. Robinson's writing reached a crescendo in 1883 with the publication of The English Flower Garden. It became one of the best-selling gardening books of all time. Structured as an encyclopaedia of plants suitable for different garden types, it was also a deeply passionate call for change. He urged gardeners to abandon labour-intensive, seasonal planting and embrace resilient, long-lived and ecologically harmonious gardens. In effect, he gave ordinary people permission to garden with freedom and instinct. Flush with success, he bought Gravetye Manor in Sussex in 1884, a semi-ruined Elizabethan house with more than 1,000 acres. There, Robinson planted wild bulbs by the thousand, created orchard meadows, and filled his borders with drifting perennials. He lived there until his death in 1935 at the age of 96. He had no children, but his ideas survived him. 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My own favourite is 'Christophii', star of Persia, a globe of beautiful starry violet flowers with almost a metallic hint to them. Plant in autumn in a sunny spot in fertile well drained soil or add some grit to heavy clay soil. Reader Q&A Can you grow wisteria from seed? I have a wisteria which produced lots of seed pods last year and was hoping to grow some more but nothing happened. There's a much easier way to propagate wisteria — it's called layering. You do this by bending a long pliable stem that will reach the ground. Where the stem touches the ground, gently wound the stem by rubbing with a knife and now bury this part in the soil — if necessary, use a bit of wire bent to keep it in place. This will form its own root system while still attached to the mother plant. Next spring, you will be able to dig it up as a separate plant and pot up or plant elsewhere.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
BBC sports presenter and All-Ireland winner open up on toll of miscarriages
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But at the same time when you nearly lose your wife that's the game changer for me and that's the priority. That shapes you as well. 'Then time passes by and you definitely do want kids. So that's where we're at, at the minute. 'We haven't tried IVF. That may be coming down the pathway. My wife is very lucky. She has a great set of friends - been really supportive towards her. She's a very strong person. 'She doesn't take things too seriously whereas everybody I would find would be quite different in this scenario. She has a good head on her shoulders. 'But it still is heavy stuff. I just feel it would be hypocritical if I didn't put myself out there, even though it's a bit weird to be talking about it.' Glynn said his story was 'very similar,' adding, 'Unfortunately we've had a few miscarriages. We've had an ectopic pregnancy. We've done a few rounds of IVF. 'It's a heavy thing now. It's tough. It's very tough. I'd always say it. When you are growing up, that's one thing that's uneducated in Ireland - is how to actually have a baby. 'When I was a young lad growing up, you are nearly taught that you'd look at a girl without a condom and she'd surely get pregnant. 'It's a real mind boggling situation. My wife Serena, there is nobody in the world who deserves a child more than her. 'She is unbelievable with kids. She has time for everyone. To be honest just the last two years have been very tough on her, very, very tough. 'We are after finishing our fifth round of IVF transfers and they've all been unsuccessful so far. To be honest with you, where we are at I don't know exactly. I don't know how we are going to get there yet but we are going to get there. 'I think we had our ectopic and a few people heard - nice messages and different things. There was one message, from our physio with the senior footballers. 'She sent us a message and she just said, 'Kids won't pass deserving parents.' And I do believe that. 'I firmly believe that me and Serena are meant to be parents and it's going to happen. It might be taking a little bit longer, but it's going to happen. I firmly, firmly believe that and know it. 'It stuck with me. I know we deserve to be parents, so it's going to happen. It's just taking a bit of time. 'Everyone goes through tough times. My brother's going through tough times. His wife Sophie, she buried her two parents in the last month - god rest them. 'When we do have kids and if they grow up to be healthy and fine, do you know what I'll take these two years. 'I'll take this tough time because it's only going to be for a little bit of time. We are going to get over it. We are going to be fine. 'Not to sound soft or anything, but as long as myself and Serena have each other, we'll be okay.' The pair also discussed the process of going to have their sperm tested by doctors hoping the issue might have been with them, and why they are so open with people who inadvertently ask them when are they having kids - even though it hurts them. Thomas Niblock explained what he'd hear sometimes: 'No kids yet Tommy?' 'I would have known, even not going through our experience, if someone is married a year or two and they are in their 30s and there's no kids, there might be a wee issue there. Don't maybe say something to them. 'So I push back and say, 'To be honest, we've had three miscarriages' and the face just drops. But I feel that's important to say that. 'It's not me being guarded. It's just maybe more, 'you should have a wee think about that.' 'I am grand with it and it doesn't bother me, but I definitely know of other people it does. 'I am always amazed by the response of so many people. Once you tell people you've had a miscarriage, they'll say, 'Tommy, know all about it, one or two myself.' 'Now their stage is different. This is what I think, my whole thing is if you have two or three kids and you have two or three miscarriages before, I'd be l00percent with that. 'It's not mitigation against what happened in the past but your journey is a past tense one. 'But I think if you are in the midst of it and you don't have any kids and your story to tell is - in my case three miscarriages - you are in a very different place. Not in a mean way but because so many people have no history of talking about it. It is bit weird for me even talking about this 'In my life I'd say this is the most I've ever put myself out there so I am at fault as much as anybody else, because it's not talked about. It's not normalised and people don't really know what way to deal about it.' The full podcast is available on BBC Sounds here.
