Secret Passages

The books! Over seven hundred of them and still counting...
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Moonraker
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Re: Ventor IOW

Post by Moonraker »

Ah, Ventnor. Birthplace of my father, it holds special memories for me. The Botanical Gardens, Wheelers Bay, the Pier (sadly, no longer with us), I won't even start on the railway! A truly wonderful resort. And now you tell me there were caves to explore! I spent many happy summer holidays in Ventnor, and probably booked my cause of death on Ventnor beach in 1962. A fabulous place. Sic Transit Gloria.
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Francis
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by Francis »

So many secret passages around, the mystery is not why the FF discovered
plenty but why I have never done so despite plenty of trying. Maybe i
needed Timmy to help me!
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Katharine
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by Katharine »

Locally there was a bit of excitement a few years ago when it was discovered that air raid shelters still existed under the playground of a local school. I think there were a couple but one had become dangerous, but the other one has been turned into a museum and is open to the fee paying pulic once a month during the summer. I've been a couple of times, and it's very interesting. I'm not sure if it had actually been forgotten about and rediscovered, or whether no one had thought it worth opening them up until about 20 years ago.
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Chrissie777
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by Chrissie777 »

Ice_Gemz wrote:When we were on holiday in Kent last year we went down to the beach and found some caves in the cliffs. I was very excited and managed to persuade my husband and daughter to come in and have a look with me. There were narrow passages that lead to wider 'rooms' with varous sea debris in.
There are some caves at Lizard Point in Cornwall, the most southern point in England.
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pete9012S
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by pete9012S »

31 Beautiful Hidden Rooms And Secret Passages...

What's your favourite? I like 3,5 & 6....

http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/31-bea ... t-passages" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Francis
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by Francis »

I like those three as well as 13 and 15 and 31 - imagine the Famous Five let loose in these houses!
Not so sure about the arms cache though - that might lead to me being confined in another small
space!
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by Chrissie777 »

pete9012S wrote:31 Beautiful Hidden Rooms And Secret Passages...
What's your favourite? I like 3,5 & 6....
http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/31-bea ... t-passages" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Wonderful ideas, Pete :)!
# 24 might have been inspired by the US TV movie "Bad Ronald" with Scott Jacoby:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071186/?ref_=sr_1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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petejt
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by petejt »

Have a look at this if you want to learn more about secret passages.

http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/3/9/1/1 ... 3918-h.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by Chrissie777 »

This is great, petejt! 8)
Thank you!!!
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petejt
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by petejt »

Thank you very much!


Yeah I have been so fascinated by the secret passages in the Famous Five, particularly the "Via Occulta" in Five go Adventuring Again and the smugglers' tunnels in Five go to Smuggler's Top, that I have been doing a bit of research and came upon that absolute gem of a document. I am very glad that it is free to access.

I think some of the passages in Kirrin Farmhouse were priest holes, like the "hidden cupboard" in the kitchen. I think the Via Occulta was an escape route too. I think Enid Blyton re-used that escape route idea for the Finniston Castle cellar passage to the chapel. I have a rough list somewhere of all the secret passages and tunnels in the Famous Five.

The closest I have come to seeing secret passages and tunnels, is doing the guided tours of World War II tunnels on Rottnest Island and near North Fremantle in Western Australia. I have also been on the underground tunnels tour of Fremantle Prison where there are tunnels about 20 metres deep (or more?!) underneath the prison, partly filled with water. You descend via a ladder then row along the tunnels in a canoe!


Sadly I learned that most of the secret passages in the 1978-1979 television series of the Famous Five were constructed within the basement of Exbury House! But I still find them fascinating. I wonder how they constructed the entrance to the 'Via Occulta' in Uncle Quentin's study, the bookcase secret door in Mr. Lenoir's study at Smuggler's Top, the secret passage entrances in Sooty's and Marybelle's rooms too, the Pirate's Path trapdoor exit in the Penruthlan's barn in Five Go Down to the Sea, and heaps more.
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Chrissie777
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by Chrissie777 »

petejt wrote:I think some of the passages in Kirrin Farmhouse were priest holes, like the "hidden cupboard" in the kitchen. I think the Via Occulta was an escape route too. I think Enid Blyton re-used that escape route idea for the Finniston Castle cellar passage to the chapel. I have a rough list somewhere of all the secret passages and tunnels in the Famous Five.

The closest I have come to seeing secret passages and tunnels, is doing the guided tours of World War II tunnels on Rottnest Island and near North Fremantle in Western Australia. I have also been on the underground tunnels tour of Fremantle Prison where there are tunnels about 20 metres deep (or more?!) underneath the prison, partly filled with water. You descend via a ladder then row along the tunnels in a canoe!
Sorry it took me that long to respond. I had to stop typing for many weeks to give my tendonitis in my right hand a chance to recover. Now I'm trying to catch up.
The closest I ever came to seeing tunnels was in October 2015 when we went to Germany on vacation and stopped for half a day at the Hotel Tuerken on Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden. The Hotel has the entrance to all these WW II tunnels that lead down to Hitler's bunker, Borman's bunker etc.
It was quite spooky. :evil:

https://www.google.de/search?q=obersalz ... 39&bih=601" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pete, I would be very interested in your rough list of secret passages & tunnels in FF books. 8)

I hope to see the secret tunnel at St. Andrews' Castle in St. Andrews in Scotland on our upcoming trip to the UK in May. MNy husband plans to play golf there (after all it's the cradle of golf 8) ), so I'll have plenty of time to explore the castle.
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pete9012S
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by pete9012S »

petejt wrote:Have a look at this if you want to learn more about secret passages.

http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/3/9/1/1 ... 3918-h.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Just downloaded this book.It's marvelous. Many thanks!
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jon beeza
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by jon beeza »

I really loved the secret passages and rooms in the famous five books. I remember the secret room in Five Get Into Trouble, I found it really fascinating. Enid certainly did have a liking for secret passages etc, I wonder where she got the idea from?
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jon beeza
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by jon beeza »

I would love a secret passage in our house, I would love to hide from some visitors. I would jump out from my hiding place, and I would give them a fright. I do that with the grand children now, they love hiding on me, and giving me a fright. :-)
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number 6
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Re: Secret Passages

Post by number 6 »

The strangest hidden place I've come across is in a pub called the Pit & Pendulum in Nottingham. The toilets are hidden behind a false bookcase! I nearly wet myself trying to find the entrance on my first ever visit!! :lol:

There's plenty of historic tunnels in Nottingham, some of which are open to the public. One Fav of mine is Mortimers hole, which is accessed in Nottingham Castle & leads down steps cut into the Rock, through winding passages to the bottom of the castle at Brewers yard...very close to the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem pub. This pub is steeped in history, with rooms carved into the rocks & used as a resting place for soldiers on their way to the Crusades. It's one of the oldest inns in England, dating from 1189. :D
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