The caves in Chislehurst, south-eastern suburbs of London, although caves are called, but dug entirely by human hands. Their history is full of amazing crimps and is lost in the mist of thousands of years - a hair's breadth as themselves are man-made tunnels through which you can wander for days.

The caves are first mentioned in written documents in 1250, but the huge mine for the extraction of chalk and flint existed long before that. William Nichols, vice president of the British Archaeological Association, in 1903 stated that they belong to three different epochs: the Druids, by which he meant the ancient inhabitants of Britain, the Romans and Saxons. It is difficult to say on what basis Nichols priplёl to the case of the Druids (no material evidence of this is not), but now it is believed that the oldest developments of about 8,000 years.

In it you can even believe: Chalk Mountain has always been necessary to man. It is made of lime, lying here flint nodules - an ancient material for the manufacture of cutting tools and flint. And, of course, the whole epoch needed to cut through the 35 kilometers of wide tunnels, which today you can walk as on the streets.

In the XVIII century it was mined flint muskets for the British Army. Legend has it that there were hidden goods smugglers. After 1830 the caves were abandoned - until the First World War, when they placed part Vulvichskogo arsenal. But the finest hour came the caves in 1940, when they had created an entire underground city with a population of fifteen thousandth of the refugees, electric lighting, hospital and chapel. There even was born and was baptized a girl named Rosa Kavena Uokmen.

Today Chislehurst Caves - a popular tourist attraction. This lead tours. Underground travelers to distribute these oil lamps and children adventure begins. In the corners of the tunnels there are wax figures Behold miner with Kyle, so get a light, two British officers. On the walls here and there carved image, there is a sculpture on something like an altar. Shadow centuries, imprints of bygone eras.

But walking in tunnels not only echoes of antiquity. Now it is the place chosen by the musicians. There were David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, of the "Rolling Stones", "Pink Floyd", "Led Zeppelin", "status quo."