When we lived at The Gap I flew model planes on Epsom Downs so spent quite a lot of time there. I  saw a large pipe some 6 feet long with a 'witches hat' on top of it (60 cm dia) coming out of the ground. It was hundreds of yards from any other man made construction, the nearest being Epsom Downs rail station. Some 50 metres away was an area with a broken down wicker fence around it. The ground inside the enclosure had subsided some 3 or 4 feet (Sorry about the change from metric to imperial).

All this was a complete mystery to me at the time and I took no further interest in it for a few years.

In my early 20s I noticed an old wooden hut nearby which was falling to pieces. I took a closer look, went in and found it covered a vertical shaft some 3 metres square descending into the darkness. I went to see my rock climbing friend Peter Story to see if I could borrow his ropes and was he interested in having a look down the shaft. He said 'no' and only lent me a very thin rope, the sort you use to pull a thicker rope into place with.

Undaunted I went back to the shaft with another friend and lots of light.

Looking down the shaft we could now see that there was once a staircase which had rotted and fallen in. I secured the 'string' and climbed down hand over hand winding the 'rope around my hands for better grip. Near the bottom I gave up and let myself fall the last few feet.

At the bottom I was amazed. Passageways had been excavated through the chalk  with metalwork to prevent roof falls.

I set out to explore. There were 4 main tunnels in the form of a square with lots of interconnecting tunnels running between them.

There were tunnels set up as sleeping wards and others lined with toilets. There were pipes and cables everywhere.

The four corners of the main tunnels were the most interesting. The first one I came to had a furnace type fire place. I realised then that the pipe sticking out of the ground was the chimney for it.

When I got to the end of the next side of the square I discovered an enormous shaft rising up some 20 metres. Across the top of the shaft were a few rotting beams and planks. This was obviously beneath the fenced off sunken area seen in my youth. There was also a doorway in a brick wall on one side at the top.

(By now the fence had long since disappeared and anyone could walk across the dip).

The third corner of the square was weird. You could hear water dripping. Looking up there was an enormous water tank up a shaft. It obviously collected rain water.

I never found the source of electricity, perhaps it had been long since removed.

The forth passage leading back to the starting point had many short passages leading away from the square pattern. On examination they all ended in a wire mesh with chalk behind. On the walls around them were racks of spades and picks. These were obviously the escape tunnels.

I took a few photos and then decided to try to get out. It was exceeding difficult to climb up such a thin rope. Finally I managed it by wnding the rope around my hand and elbow, terrified what would happen if I fell. Luckily I made it OK.

I never went in again.

Outside it was now clear. There was a deep cutting in the chalk which was made to allow escapers to reach safety easily without too much digging.

I've searched Google Maps for any sign of it but it was nearly 60 years ago. It was quite near Epsom Downs Station I remember. The place where I think it was is now a golf course and has undergone major earth works. 

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