Editing Subterranean London

{{Short description|Structures beneath London}}
'''Subterranean London''' refers to a number of [[subterranea (geography)|subterranean structures]] that lie beneath [[London]]. The city has been occupied by humans for two millennia. Over time, the capital has acquired a vast number of these structures and spaces, often as a result of war and conflict.

==Water and waste==
The River [[Thames]] runs west–east through the centre of London. Many tributaries flow into it. Over time these changed from water sources to untreated sewers and disease sources.<ref name="pmid11751359">{{cite journal | author = Halliday S | year = 2001 | title = Death and miasma in Victorian London: an obstinate belief | journal = BMJ | volume = 323 | issue = 7327| pages = 1469–71 | pmid = 11751359 | pmc=1121911 | doi=10.1136/bmj.323.7327.1469}}</ref> As the city developed from a cluster of villages, many of the Thames tributaries were [[Subterranean rivers of London|buried or converted into canals]].

The rivers failed to carry all the [[sewage]] of the growing metropolis. The resulting health crisis led to the creation of the [[London sewerage system]] (designed by [[Joseph Bazalgette]]) in the late nineteenth century. It was one of the world's first modern sewer systems and is still in use today, having been designed to account for the city's continued growth.

The [[Thames Water Ring Main]] is a notable large-scale water supply infrastructure, comprising 80&nbsp;kilometres of wide-bore water-carrying tunnels.

The [[Thames Tideway Tunnel]], due for completion in 2025, will be a  deep tunnel {{convert|25|km|abbr=on}} long, running mostly under the tidal section of the [[River Thames]] through central [[London]] to capture, store and convey almost all the raw [[sewage]] and [[rain]]water that currently overflows into the river.

==Transport==
The [[London Underground]] was the world's first [[Rapid transit|underground railway]] and one of its most extensive. Its construction began in 1860 with the {{convert|3.7|mi|km|adj=on}} Metropolitan Railway from [[Farringdon, London|Farringdon]] to [[Paddington Waterside|Paddington]]. It opened in 1863, after much disruption from the use of "[[Tunnel#Cut-and-cover|cut-and-cover]]" techniques that involved digging large trenches along the course of existing roads, and then constructing a roof over the excavation to reinstate the road surface.<ref name=glover>John Glover, (1996), ''London's Underground'', 8th Ed., Ian Allan Publishing, {{ISBN|0-7110-2416-2}}</ref>

Tube railways, which caused less disruption because they were constructed by boring a tunnel, arrived in 1890, with the opening of the [[City and South London Railway]], a {{convert|3.5|mi|km|adj=on}} line from Stockwell to King William Street. It was planned as a cable-hauled railway, but the advent of electric traction resulted in a simpler solution, and the change was made before the cable system was built. It became the world's first electric tube railway.<ref>Charles E. Lee, (1967), ''Sixty Years of the Northern'', London Transport</ref> Although the system includes {{convert|249|mi|km}} of track, only about 45 percent is actually below ground.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx| title=Transport For London, ''Key Facts''| accessdate=January 16, 2009 |archive-date=June 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629152816/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx}}</ref>

[[Kingsway (London)|Kingsway]] has an almost intact [[Kingsway tramway subway|underground passageway for trams]], which is occasionally open to the public.

[[Tunnels underneath the River Thames]] range from foot-tunnels to road tunnels and the tunnels of the Underground. The first of these, the [[Thames Tunnel]], designed by [[Marc Brunel]], was the first tunnel known to cross under a navigable river. It ran for {{convert|1200|yd|m}} from [[Rotherhithe]] to [[Wapping]], and opened in 1843. It was used as a pedestrian subway, as the company did not have enough money or finance to build the intended access ramps for horse-drawn traffic. These tunnels were later used by the East London branch of the Metropolitan Railway from [[Shoreditch]] to New Cross.<ref name=glover/> It was refurbished in 2011 and became part of the [[London Overground]] network.<ref>[[Thames Tunnel]]</ref>

Several railway stations have cavernous vaults and tunnels running beneath them, often disused, or reopened with a new purpose. Examples include [[The Old Vic Tunnels]], beneath [[London Waterloo station]], and the vaults beneath [[London Bridge station]], formerly utilised by the theatre company [[Shunt (theatre company)|Shunt]].

==Defence==
Many [[Military citadels under London|underground military citadels]] were built under London. Few are acknowledged, and even fewer are open to the public. One exception is the famous [[Military citadels under London#Cabinet War Rooms|Cabinet War Rooms]], used by [[Winston Churchill]] during the [[Second World War]].

During the war, parts of the Underground were converted into [[air-raid shelter]]s known as [[London deep-level shelters|deep-level shelters]]. Some were converted for military and civil defence use, such as the now-disused [[Kingsway telephone exchange]].

Other [[civil defence centres in London]] are wholly or partly underground, mostly remnants from the [[Cold War]]. Many other subterranean facilities exist around the centre of government in [[Whitehall]], often linked by tunnels.<ref>{{Cite book
| last =Laurie
| first = Peter
| title =Beneath the City Streets
| publisher = Panther
| date = 1979
| pages =183–211
| isbn =978-0-586-05055-2 }}</ref>

In December 1980, the ''[[New Statesman]]'' revealed the existence of secret tunnels linking government buildings, which they claimed would be used in the event of a national emergency. It is believed these tunnels also link to [[Buckingham Palace]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Campbell, Duncan |title=A Christmas Party for the Moles|work=New Statesman|pages= 19–26 |date=December 1980}}</ref> Author [[Duncan Campbell (journalist, born 1952)|Duncan Campbell]] discussed these facilities in more detail, in the book ''War Plan UK: The Truth about Civil Defence in Britain'' (1982).<ref>{{cite book|author= Campbell, D. |date=1982|title=War Plan UK: The Truth about Civil Defence in Britain|edition=1st |publisher= Burnett Books|isbn= 0-09-150670-0 }}</ref> Peter Laurie wrote a book about these facilities, titled ''[[Beneath the City Streets]]: A Private Inquiry into the Nuclear Preoccupations of Government'' (1970).<ref>{{cite book|author=Laurie, Peter|title=Beneath the City Streets: A Private Inquiry into the Nuclear Preoccupations of Government
| location = United Kingdom
| language         = en
| publisher        = Allen Lane
| date         = 1970
}}</ref>

==Utilities==
London, like most other major cities, established an extensive underground infrastructure for [[electricity distribution]], [[natural gas]] supply, [[water supply]] and [[telecommunications]].

Starting in 1861, Victorian engineers built miles of purpose-built subways large enough to walk through, and through which they could run gas, electricity, water and hydraulic power pipes. These works removed the inconvenience of having to repeatedly excavate highways to allow access to underground utilities.<ref>Antony Clayton (2000) ''Subterranean City'' {{ISBN|0-948667-69-9}}</ref>

==Abandoned structures==
Some underground structures are no longer in use. These include:

* The [[London Hydraulic Power Company]], set up in 1883, installed a [[hydraulic power network]] of high-pressure cast-iron water mains. These were bought by [[Mercury Communications]] for use as telecommunications ducts.
* Sections of the [[London Pneumatic Despatch Company]] tunnels linking the General Post Office and [[Euston Railway station]].
* An extensive private underground railway, the [[London Post Office Railway]], was constructed by the [[Post Office]], fell into disuse and has now become a tourist attraction.
* [[Closed London Underground stations]] are generally not accessible to the public except on [[London Transport Museum]] guided tours.

==See also==
General topics:

* [[List of former and unopened London Underground stations]]
* [[Military citadels under London]]
* [[London deep-level shelters]]
* [[Tunnels underneath the River Thames]]
* [[London sewerage system]]
* [[Catacombs of London]]
* [[Subterranean rivers of London]]
* ''[[Neverwhere]]'', a story set in a fantasy underground London

Individual sites of interest:

* [[Kingsway tramway subway]]
* [[Criterion Theatre]]
* [[Tower Subway]]
* [[King William Street tube station]]
* [[Holborn Viaduct Low Level Station]]
* [[Oxgate Admiralty Citadel]]
* [[Bishopsgate railway station]]
* [[Northern Outfall Sewer]]
* [[Southern Outfall Sewer]]
* [[Great Conduit]]
* [[London Post Office Railway]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Emmerson, A. and Beard, T. (2004) ''London's Secret Tubes'', Capital Transport Publishing, {{ISBN|1-85414-283-6}}.
* Trench, R. and Hillman, E. (1993) ''London Under London: A subterranean guide'', second revised edition, London: John Murray, {{ISBN|0-7195-5288-5}}.
* Campbell, Duncan (1983) ''War Plan UK''. Granada, UK. {{ISBN|0-586-08479-7}} & {{ISBN|978-0-586-08479-3}}.
* Ackroyd, Peter (2011) ''London Under''. Vintage Books, 202pp. {{ISBN|9780099287377}}

==External links==
* [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/location/greater-london Subterranea Britannica]
* [http://underground-history.co.uk/front.php Disused stations on the London underground]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090428005836/http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/books.html Subterranea Britannica research group book list]
* http://www.mailrail.co.uk Unofficial MailRail website
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Man-made and man-related Subterranea}}

[[Category:Subterranean London| ]]
[[Category:Infrastructure in London]]