Case file · Haunting
The Hellfire Caves of West Wycombe
Chalk tunnels dug between 1748 and 1752 for Sir Francis Dashwood beneath West Wycombe church, where the notorious Hellfire Club is said to have held its secret meetings.
1748 CE · 51.65, -0.80 · status: legend
The account
The tunnels run about 400 m into the hill, through chambers named after members such as the Earl of Sandwich and Benjamin Franklin, to an 'inner temple' beyond a subterranean 'River Styx'. Rumours of black masses gave the caves a sinister reputation, and visitors tell of ghosts, including a servant girl called Sukie.
The sceptical view
The club's meetings were more drinking society than satanism; ghost stories grew with the caves' role as a tourist attraction.