Britain’s secret tunnels: Locals uncover long-mythologised passageways beneath an Oxfordshire village that may have been used as escape routes hundreds of years ago

Rumors have been circulating for decades that a secret network of tunnels lies beneath the village of Bloxham in Oxfordshire.

Now, a local group of enthusiasts has finally confirmed that they’re real.

The Bloxham Underground Tunnel Society was formed in 2024 following increasing online discussions about mythological underground passages.

Since then, members have been investigating whether there is any truth to the folklore.

Thanks to a series of remarkable discoveries, they can now confirm the existence of footpaths beneath the quaint village on the edge of the Cotswolds.

Incredible images show long, winding tunnels running beneath Bloxham – and there are signs they have been there for a long time.

Experts aren’t exactly sure why the tunnels were built, but some suggest they were used as an escape route during the persecution of Catholics during the Reformation hundreds of years ago.

Local resident Dave Green, president of the association, told the Daily Mail his team were ‘very excited’ when they discovered the first ‘spooky’ tunnel and hope to uncover more.

Rumors have been circulating for decades that a secret network of tunnels lies beneath the village of Bloxham in Oxfordshire. Now, incredible images show the legends are true

“Like most villages in the country, there are always legends,” Mr Green told the Daily Mail.

‘But many people never record anything; this is only spoken through their parents and grandparents.

‘We decided to follow the legends. People tend to throw them away; They say these are ridiculous and not true.

‘But we don’t believe that. We believe what people say. Some things are passed down through generations and some things are distorted over time; everyone contributes to a story; but there is usually some truth to it.’

He said the discovery of the first tunnel came as a result of discussions with elderly residents, but the second one was an ‘accident’.

‘In the first discovery, there was a small door embedded in the garden wall and behind this door was a tunnel. ‘There lived an old woman in the house who knew the door was there but had no idea what was behind it,’ he explained.

The charity asked experienced cavers at the University of Birmingham to carry out a risk assessment before donning their flashlights and setting out to explore.

He said: ‘It was our first tunnel survey in August last year and we were excited about it. It was like a child’s dream. The tunnel was 12 meters long, but there were other channels leading into the tunnel and these were closed.’

The first tunnel was discovered when the team opened a gate built into the garden wall. Behind it was a 40 ft (12 m) long causeway

The charity asked experienced cavers at the University of Birmingham to carry out a risk assessment before donning their flashlights and setting out to explore.

There are also signs carved on some stones, but their meaning is not yet clear. One of these appears to be the double V symbol called ‘virgo virginum’, which dates back to the Middle Ages and was thought to ward off witches and evil spirits.

‘When we walked in, we noticed a difference in the air,’ he said. ‘There were only a few of us there, so our breathing took a bit of getting used to. But it was a great feeling.”

In March this year, another tunnel, much larger than the first, was discovered when a builder’s floor collapsed while he was working on the foundations of a garage.

‘This was 40 meters long,’ Mr Green said. ‘But there were also rooms and large caves that I could see over the rubble.

‘We really think it’s a complex of tunnels.’

Mr. Green says he believes the gateways are medieval; This could mean they date back 500 years.

Although it is not yet clear what they were used for, he suggested that some may have been used as hiding places or escapes, as well as mining.

The team found fossils in some underground rocks, as well as animal bones they believe to be red deer skulls.

The fact that red deer have not been common in the area for hundreds of years suggests that the tunnels have been around for a ‘considerable’ time.

Mr. Green says he believes the gateways date from the Middle Ages; This could mean they date back 500 years. In many places, spectacular underground walkways are high enough to stand on.

The Bloxham Underground Tunnel Society was formed in 2024 following increasing online discussions about mythological underground passages.

The team found fossils in some underground rocks, as well as animal bones they believe to be red deer skulls (pictured)

They hope to carbon date the bones to provide a more accurate idea of ​​how old the passages date.

There are also signs carved on some stones, but their meaning is not yet clear. One of these appears to be the double V symbol called ‘virgo virginum’, which dates back to the Middle Ages and was believed to ward off witches and evil spirits.

The group also uncovered Victorian glass bottles, pottery and unusual stone piles in underground tunnels.

The Bloxham Underground Tunnel Society consists of Dave Green, Martin Wyatt, Tom Smith, Martin Whytto, Simon Finch and Jim Smithson.

They said more areas have been identified for further investigation, which could lead to the discovery of more passages as part of an underground network.