Secret Passage - Via Occulta - Geheimgang

[Chrissie777]

Wales is still on my mental wish list of European destinations to explore.
Hopefully one day we'll be able to go there...

I think you'd love the Great Orme in Llandudno, Chrissie, and Conwy Castle.

Do you remember the title of Nina Bawden's book about the underground passage?

It's called The Secret Passage but, if I remember correctly, the passage is only a short one leading between two houses.

I didn't know about Mark Twain's caves being open to the public but they sound fabulous!

Anita, I'll add Nina Bawden to my amazon.co.uk market basket. Thank you.

I remember visiting Chepstow Castle in Wales which is right next to the Severn Bridge. But that was all I ever saw from Wales (1981).

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

I seem to remember a horrible story from a few years ago when a dad and daughter decided to explore a Cornish sea cave without a torch, fell through a hole in the floor, and needed rescuing. They thought they were having a Blyton adventure, but my recollection is that Blyton kids usually had a torch or matches on their person when exploring underground, and going home to collect them when they didn't

A thoroughly safe but fascinating place is the medieval water system under Exeter
https://exeter.gov.uk/leisure-and-cultu ... -passages/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Viv

[Anita Bensoussane]

The medieval water system does sound interesting, Viv. My daughter and I have had several tours (of three different sections) of the underground caves and passages beneath Nottingham, which were dug out of the sandstone from the seventh century. They stretch for many miles and were used for all kinds of things - homes, taverns, gambling dens, cock-fighting, a tannery and storage.

Years ago I visited the Catacombs of Rome, former underground burial chambers dating from the second to the fifth century. Slightly spooky but fascinating.

[Chrissie777]

I seem to remember a horrible story from a few years ago when a dad and daughter decided to explore a Cornish sea cave without a torch, fell through a hole in the floor, and needed rescuing. They thought they were having a Blyton adventure, but my recollection is that Blyton kids usually had a torch or matches on their person when exploring underground, and going home to collect them when they didn't
A thoroughly safe but fascinating place is the medieval water system under Exeter
Viv

These underground passages in Exeter sound fascinating, Viv!

[Chrissie777]

Years ago I visited the Catacombs of Rome, former underground burial chambers dating from the second to the fifth century. Slightly spooky but fascinating.

I always wanted to visit the one in Paris.

[pete9012S]

I've just finished reading this thread again and thought you might enjoy it, Chrissie:

Secret Passages/Secret Rooms/Islands/Rocky tunnels under the sea:
https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/for ... et+Passage" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Katharine]

Not a secret passage, but I did pluck up the courage to explore a Longbarrow on the top of a hill in Somerset as part of my quest to visit all the English Heritage sites.

After walking about quarter a mile up a hill to find it, I thought I really ought make the most of my visit, as I'm unlikely to go there again.

[Chrissie777]

I've just finished reading this thread again and thought you might enjoy it, Chrissie:
Secret Passages/Secret Rooms/Islands/Rocky tunnels under the sea:

Thank you, Pete, I will check it out.

[Chrissie777]

Not a secret passage, but I did pluck up the courage to explore a Longbarrow on the top of a hill in Somerset as part of my quest to visit all the English Heritage sites.
After walking about quarter a mile up a hill to find it, I thought I really ought make the most of my visit, as I'm unlikely to go there again.

So what is a Longbarrow?

[Katharine]

Chrissie, a long barrow is an ancient tomb.

Here's a link to the one I visited https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/vis ... ng-barrow/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From what I can remember, it just went straight into the hill with little niches on either side. I can't remember if there were torches at the site which we used or whether we'd taken our own. It wasn't too far underground, although too dark to see all the way inside without additional light, but it wasn't very high, so I think most of the time I had to bend while exploring it.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

The Eileen Soper illustration of the gold in the dungeon FOTI show ingots the size of house bricks.

This film shows the size of a 1kg gold ingot - 28 mins in

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p ... s-of-earth" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Viv

[Boatbuilder]

The Eileen Soper illustration of the gold in the dungeon FOTI show ingots the size of house bricks.

Like these, Viv. These are standard gold bars held as gold reserves by central banks and traded among bullion dealers. They are 400-troy-ounce (12.4-kilogram; 438.9-ounce) in size - a 'Good Delivery' gold bar..



This is one from my safe - I wish.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_bar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Chrissie777]

Chrissie, a long barrow is an ancient tomb.
From what I can remember, it just went straight into the hill with little niches on either side. I can't remember if there were torches at the site which we used or whether we'd taken our own. It wasn't too far underground, although too dark to see all the way inside without additional light, but it wasn't very high, so I think most of the time I had to bend while exploring it.

Katharine, they have similar tombs in Germany called Huenengrab:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gro%C3%9Fsteingrab" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Wolfgang]

The Eileen Soper illustration of the gold in the dungeon FOTI show ingots the size of house bricks.

Like these, Viv. These are standard gold bars held as gold reserves by central banks and traded among bullion dealers. They are 400-troy-ounce (12.4-kilogram; 438.9-ounce) in size - a 'Good Delivery' gold bar..



This is one from my safe - I wish.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_bar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That makes one wonder if they really had that size and weight 200 years or so ago.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

I'd be happy to find a pile of either size

Viv