The Stock Well, Greenwich

Beryl Platts, resident of Crooms Hill, is the main witness to a collapse that happened just outside the entrance to Greenwich Theatre - there is little doubt that this well with passageway was closely related to the Stockwell, or may even have been it. Whether any of the structure described dates back to the time of Duke Humphrey is unknown.

↑ Click for a larger version (457k 473 x 1200)

South Metropolitan Chalk Mine, Plumstead

The South Metropolitan Mine was poorly worked and in places highly unstable, with a number of voids working their way up to the surface - with disastrous consequences for the houses in that section of Alliance Road. It was filled during the 1950s, although there were almost certainly some galleries that could not be reached because of roof falls, and these remain unfilled and unsafe.

↑ A nightmare of roof falls and partially flooded passageway. Click for a large version (1.84Mb 2500 x 1421)

↑On the left, South Metropolitan Mine, with Gregorys to the right of it. Click for a large version (3.55Mb 2500 x 1729)

↑ An extract from the original 1889 ground survey with the approximate location of some galleries added to the map in the 1950s. Click for a large version (4.1Mb 3488 x 2616)

Below: Borough Engineer George Helsdon working in the South Metropolitan Mine during the 1940s and 1950s, with general views of engineering work to stabilise the mine. Photos by courtesy of London Transport - click each image for a larger version.























George Helsdon again; two low-quality photos from newspapers of the time: