Case file · Haunting
Chislehurst Caves and the 'Druid' altars
Miles of chalk-mine tunnels in south-east London. In 1903 an archaeologist claimed Druids, Romans and Saxons had dug them, and guides still point out 'Druid altars'; the caves are also famed for ghost stories.
1903 CE · 51.41, 0.06 · status: legend
The account
William Nichols of the British Archaeological Association proposed the ancient origin, and the three sections were named after it. During the Blitz the caves sheltered thousands of people, with a chapel and hospital; a baby born there was christened Cavena.
The sceptical view
Nichols's theory has never been verified; the tunnels are post-medieval chalk and flint workings. Ghost tales are part of the tour.