Having functioning underground 648 metre long tunnels in a school, might come across as unusual, but in a school like Christ Hospital these tunnels are vital for everyday usage.

In 1902 when the school was being built they were designed like trenches and the school was placed on top. The main purpose of the tunnels used to be heating so the tunnels had lots of pipes running through them carrying steam. The tunnels were also used by the matrons to dry out and store the school uniform and to this day you can still see the old pulley systems to transfer items from the tunnels up to the boarding houses. The tunnels in WW2 were essential as they were used as air raid shelters and in poor weather the pupils used the tunnels to access the schools dining hall, chapel and classrooms. However they no longer have access to the tunnel system.

But, these tunnels haven’t always been helpful. In October 2003 the steel gas pipes corroded due to damp conditions in the tunnels and as a result all gas pipes had to be turned off, in winter! To make matters worse, the Queen was coming to visit, so top priority was to get the kitchens back up and running. To substitute for heating, electric radiators got ordered but unfortunately for the students it wasn’t until February when the gas pipes were finally back up and running.

Now it is mainly used for cables, wires, gas and water mains to run through the tunnels and it’s also home to resident ghost Ozzy. Head of Maintenance, Neil Manning, said that it has saved Christ Hospital a considerable amount by being able to store all these things underground.