Mysterious sinkholes cropping up on busy street linked to ‘haunted’ underground tunnels dating back to Roman times
MYSTERIOUS sinkholes which have opened up on a busy street could be linked to a network of "haunted" underground tunnels dating back thousands of years.
The unusual cavities appeared in a residential road in Tredworth, Gloucester, and was coned off by authorities.
Heavy rain and flooding in recent weeks is thought to have caused the appearance of the new holes.
But local paranormal experts say they sparked renewed interest in the city's long-held rumours and legends of ancient subterranean chambers.
Photos have previously revealed a 22 miles network of tunnels chambers dating back to the English Civil War and World War Two.
Since the sinkholes opened up many residents have reached out to a local paranormal research group.
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Edd Francis of Gloucester Paranormal Investigation Services said: "We started getting messages on our Facebook page.
"Most of the enquiries were from local people asking if there could be a connection between the sinkhole and the secret tunnels believed to be beneath the city."
And they believe excessive rain may have disturbed some of the lost, forgotten and secret underground tunnels and passageways.
Paul Cowmeadow, also of the group added: "There are entrances to the tunnel network from the cellars of several pubs in the town centre and we've seen them.
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"The Fleece Hotel, which is now closed, has got an entrance in the basement that goes into a tunnel that's been bricked up and it seemed to be heading under Westgate Street in the direction of the cathedral.
"It's believed that the tunnel system was used for several purposes over the centuries, ranging from smuggling, to the English Civil War, and then later in World War Two it is rumoured that the secret services and military also made use of them."
Paul said that he and other researchers have heard a local story about the tunnels that has been passed down by word of mouth over generations.
He continued: ''Apparently, a group of builders were working under the city in the tunnels on a council contract doing some kind of big construction or maintenance work, with big machinery, thousands of pounds worth of kit.
''It's said that there were unusual occurrences where they were working, objects moving around on their own, strange noises, and apparently things escalated quickly to where all of the builders suddenly fled the tunnels and legged it.
"I do believe there are a lot of mysteries beneath the pavements and streets of Gloucester, but on this occasion, it is looking far more like an old Victorian sewer has collapsed rather than the lizard people emerging from their subterranean hideouts.''
One resident who lives in a house less than 30ft away from the sink hole said: "At half past seven this morning some bloke driving to work went in the hole.
''He done a bit of damage to his car because when they got him back up, he went off down the road clanking.
''Then he parked up and waited nearly two hours for somebody to come from Highways, and they gave him an incident number to give for his insurance.
''Now just imagine if that was a motorbike, it doesn't bear thinking about."
Another concerned resident of the city commenting on Facebook said: "There's one on Sydney Street and there's one behind it on the alley that's getting bigger been there for months."
According to paranormal historian and host of the Fortean News Podcast, James Koppert, said: "In April 2022 a sinkhole appeared in Rome, near to the Pantheon.
''Amazingly the sinkhole revealed the remains of a temple dating back to the year 27 BC as well as loads of other cool finds and clues to the city's past and history.
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''So sinkholes in historic places really can uncover ancient mysteries and lost treasures, and with Gloucester's history literally going back thousands of years, I wouldn't be too surprised if a sinkhole in the city did expose hidden underground structures."
A tweet from Gloucestershire's highways team said an emergency road closure was set up while repairs were done.
