Going underground
Fancy an otherworldly experience? The ground beneath our feet hides a multitude of jaw-dropping sites and an underground tour can reveal so much about England’s history and the formation of the English landscape. There are miles of caves to explore, boasting awe-inspiring stalagmites and stalactites.
Take a sewer tour – yes, really – to gawp at the subterranean architecture and marvel at Victorian ingenuity. For a less aromatic experience, disused coal mines now offer the chance to descend 140m underground on a mine tour to confront the vivid realities faced by the men, women and children who have toiled in them through the ages. These are hidden gems indeed.
Delve deep inside the Hellfire Caves
Venture into the Buckinghamshire chalk caves that held the notorious Hellfire Club, founded by Sir Francis Dashwood in the 18th century.
Location: West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Rainy Day Activities: Explore underground history at Ramsgate Tunnels
Take a step back in time to discover what life was like in this network of underground tunnels, home to thousands of people during the Second World War.
Location: Ramsgate, Kent