BICKLEY & CHISLEHURST CAVES

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I headed out to Bickley, in South-East London to explore Chislehurst Caves. En route we also explored the lovely nearby pub and tried out some of the lovely food on offer. Claustrophobics beware! This outing may not be the one for you...

Chislehurst Caves is a tourist attraction boasting a massive 22 miles of man-made tunnels (and therefore, technically not caves, but ya know...). Originally excavated for mining purposes in the early centuries, it's now open for public tours all year round. Easy to reach by both Chislehurst and Bickley train stations, it's a no-brainer if you've got itchy feet in London and want to explore somewhere further outside zone 6.

Once you've purchased your ticket (£6 - so ridiculously cheap!), there's a small museum in the waiting area which contains some interesting artefacts and information about the caves; mostly about when they were used as public shelters in the Second World War. We're pretty sure they're okay about you trying on the Air Warden's helmets... we did it anyway.

Once inside the caves (accompanied by a guide), you're given a gas lamp. I'm not sure I enjoyed the responsibility of wielding a lit flame around a contained area, but rest assured I much preferred having the light...

The caves themselves were incredible to explore. The guide didn't give us much history or context, which was slightly frustrating, but parts of the caves had been preserved to represent what it would have looked like as a shelter in World War II. Apparently, although we didn't get to see them all, the tunnels contained a church, hairdressers, hospital, cinema, Citizen's Advice Bureau, as well as miles worth of 'pitches' which is where people slept. 

As well as the more historical aspect of the caves, we also got to see more 'modern' uses of the space, including a stage where Led Zeplin and David Bowie (not to mention countless more) once played, and the remains of a once-working bar! There was also a beautiful carving in the wall by artist Sandy Brown, and numerous left-over indications of various TV productions that had filmed inside the caves (namely Doctor Who and Fungus the Bogeyman!)

Overall it was a pretty amazing experience, and one I would thoroughly recommend. As previously mentioned, if you're claustrophobic or unsteady on foot (the cave floors are extremely uneven) then maybe give this one a miss. The caves might also be a little bit scary for young children (there's a point where the guide tells you ghost stories, and I'm not going to lie, I was quite freaked out. I'm also a scaredy cat, so please take that into consideration).

Afterwards we headed round to the corner to a pub called The Bickley (glamorously modelled by my boyfriend here). We had passed through on the way to the caves and thought it looked like a gorgeous spot to stop and have some lunch afterwards.

The pub itself was so cosy and inviting, and both myself and Rees agreed it was one of the nicest pubs we'd ever come across. The staff were really friendly, and although we came during the busy lunch rush, they managed to find us a table.

I chose a chicken club sandwich which came with coleslaw and salad, and a side of chips. It was so delicious, and I would thoroughly recommend this place to anyone. It's on the pricier side to eat, but if I ever find myself in South-East London again, I would definitely seek this pub out for it's relaxed vibe and beautiful decor. So, if like myself, you're a bored Londoner seeking more (cheaper) adventures that are easy to reach, I would definitely recommend hopping on a train (pretty easy to reach from both Victoria and London Bridge) and heading out the city to Chislehurst and Bickley. I thoroughly enjoyed my day out, and would consider returning just for another bite of that chicken club sandwich. Yummy!
 
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