Chislehurst Caves

The labyrinthine Chislehurst Caves complex consists of 35km (22 miles) of man-made tunnels in Chislehurst in suburban southeast London. The tunnels are a byproduct of the chalk and flint mines that operated in from the 13th to the 19th centuries.

More recently the caves have been used as an ammunition depot during the First World War, as a mushroom farm in the 1930s and as an air raid shelter during the Second World War. The caves have also been used as a live music venue with David Bowie, Status Quo, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd all performing here.

Several television programmes have been filmed here including Doctor Who, Merlin and Seven Natural Wonders.

What to see at Chislehurst Caves

It is not possible to explore the caves on your own (otherwise a lot of people would get lost down there) so admission to the Chislehurst Caves is by guided tour only.

The 45-minute lamp-lit guided tours only cover 5% of the extensive system of tunnels. The tours give you some interesting background information on the caves particularly its wartime history when up to 15,000 people would spend the night in the caves during the Blitz.

It is an interesting place to visit, but a criticism made by a lot of visitors is that the tours can be a little rushed and tour guides gloss over a lot of facts (or perhaps don’t know the facts themselves) and focus on stories about the caves that are probably untrue (such as the alleged connection with druids, Saxons and the Romans).

Visiting Chislehurst Caves

Chislehurst Caves are located in Chislehurst in London’s southeastern suburbs, less than a five-minute walk from Chislehurst railway station. Chislehurst is around a 30-minute train journey from central London with rail services from London Cannon Street, Charing Cross and London Bridge railway stations.

Admission is by tour and the 45-minute tours of the caves depart every hour on the hour.

There is free entry with a valid London Pass.