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‘Halt the bulldozers’ plea as historic tunnels are revealed
Brewery arches unearthed at offices site are hailed as an important find
THE entrance to a labyrinth of tunnels used to transport beer barrels in the 18th century has been unearthed during work on a controversial development in Fitzrovia.
The tops of red-brick arches were grazed by bulldozers preparing the ground for a six-storey office block in Evelyn’s Yard, off Gresse Street.
It is believed they form part of a hidden four-acre underground warren used by Woodyard Brewery to ferry supplies beneath Soho and Covent Garden.
Work has continued at the site since the discovery was made by residents last week, but campaigners and politicians are urging developer Balfour Beatty to stop work before the tunnels are destroyed.
Local historian David Bieda said: “They are likely to be tunnels from the old Woodyard Brewery at Seven Dials. It had an extensive system of tunnels for delivering barrels to pubs. They can be seen from the basement of Seven Dials Warehouse.”
The brewery, based in Castle Street, was owned by the 18th century parliamentarian and City of London mayor, Harvey Christian Combe, who lived in Great Russell Street.
Chris Howard, chairman of Gresse Street Residents’ Association, said: “If the tunnels are destroyed in the meantime, it would be a minimal amount of fuss for Balfour Beatty to pay a fine, and we would lose our important find!”
Bloomsbury Labour councillor Penny Abraham said: “It is extraordinary that these tunnels were not recorded on development plans.
“Thanks to the vigilance of local residents, they will now be recorded and hopefully looked after appropriately.
“London’s underground history deserves much better attention from those seeking to make money through development.”
Developer Balfour Beatty said it was aware of the tunnels and its archaeologists were investigating the site.
But a spokeswoman for English Heritage doubted that the tunnels were of sufficient historic interest to warrant halting the development.
“From what we are informed these are not from Roman times but probably from the 18th century,” she said.
Campaigners have fought the development in Evelyn’s Yard for more than two years. They won a judicial review hearing over the plans last year, but the application was resubmitted with minor changes and approved by Westminster Council planning chiefs earlier this year.
Nicholas O’Dwyer, who runs Roxy nightclub in Rathbone Place and opposes the development, is preparing for a second battle with Westminster Council in the High Court. He said: “Under planning rules an application of this size must have space for residential accommodation on-site. The developers have got around this by saying they will build a number of flats on a separate site in Rathbone Place. These flats will be right next to a 24-hour sorting office, a busy main road and my nightclub.”
A council spokesman said: “We are confident the ongoing judicial review will find we took into account the local environment when granting this application and acted in accordance with the council’s policies on new developments.” |
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