Multi-million pound works to Northampton's Market Square brings up age-old mystery - are there tunnels under the town?

Rumours have been circulating for years and years that there are secret tunnels running underneath Northampton town centre – but are they true?

Multi-million pound works to transform Northampton's historic Market Square, which will last around 18 months and cost £8.4million, started in February.

These works have brought up the age old rumour, are there really secret tunnels running underneath the town?

This newspaper takes a look into what we know so far.

Background

The BBC spoke to the Holy Sepulchre Restoration Trust’s John Kightley MBE back in 2009 who said that the Market Square has three tunnels running north to south. Two of them reportedly lead to the Holy Sepulchre and one longer tunnel leads to the steps of the former Peacock Coach Inn, formerly Peacock Place. On the west side of the Market Square there is also the remains of an air raid shelter, apparently.

John told the BBC in 2009: "When I went underneath the Market Square I saw open fronted air raid shelters, apparently they were open to prevent suicide."

At the bottom of Bridge Street there is thought to be a tunnel which may have allowed the nuns of Delapre Abbey to escape the Battle of Northampton, wrote the BBC.

This hidden underground world is now no longer accessible. The chambers were reportedly closed off for health and safety reasons in 1990.

John is disappointed about the lack of public awareness of the cellars and tunnels underneath Northampton "It feels like a part of our history is lost, now the council have closed off access to the tunnels for health and safety reasons not many people will get to see the wonders we have below our feet".

Another local news outlet spoke to the late, great town historian Mike Ingram, who sadly died in December 2021.

Mike rubbished the rumours at the time, saying: “There is not a maze of tunnels that runs under the Market Square.

“That’s not the first time I’ve heard that though, and in fact, I know of quite a few people who still think that an underground railway runs beneath the town.

“That was actually an April Fools joke from 1976 published in the Chronicle & Echo, which for some reason stuck with people as fact.”

Council confirms there is one tunnel…

This newspaper has been asking multiple sources what they know, starting with West Northants Council (WNC).

A council spokeswoman said: “To our knowledge there is only one [running from] All Saints across Mercers Row.”

The council attached an outline map of the tunnels which shows an ‘entrance manhole’ underneath the road in Mercers Row (pictured).

Chron and Echo asked WNC if it could go down into the tunnel but the council said it doesn’t have access to the tunnel and that it is probably unaccessible.

This newspaper continued to ask local businesses if they had any tunnels underneath their premises.

Bars say there are tunnels in cellars...

A worker at Shipmans pub in the Drapery said: “We do have a cellar which is connected to some of the tunnels. I don’t know anything about them other than I have seen it, I’m afraid. The cellar is where we keep alcohol but the tunnel is shut off by a door because it’s a bit gross and creepy and horrible. None of our staff are allowed in there.”

Chron and Echo also contacted Turtle Bay in Gold Street, which reportedly has entrances to tunnels underneath its premises

A Turtle Bay worker said: “I’ve been down there [cellar] a couple times. It’s massive. I think it leads through town.”

This newspaper asked Turtle Bay if we could go down and have a look but we are still awaiting a response.

Old age pensioner speaks out about her experience…

And finally, during a family discussion, this reporter’s 83-year-old grandmother said she has been underneath the Old Black Lion pub for a seance back in the 1990s where she saw entrances to multiple tunnels.

Valerie MacLeod said: “I was at a Christmas party at the pub and we went downstairs for a seance. I didn’t see in the tunnels because they were all blocked up from years ago. But there were tunnels down there behind the walls.”

‘The reality is somewhat less intriguing than the rumour’

Next on the list of contacts was Father Oliver Coss at All Saints’ Church, who referred us to a previous feature he wrote saying ‘the reality is somewhat less intriguing than the rumour’.

He said: “Underneath the chancel of All Saints’ Church is one of Northampton’s hidden gems, for beneath the seventeenth-century splendour of our parish church lies a remnant of the medieval building in its astonishing little crypt. The wisdom of our forebears (and a severe lack of flexible space in the church) meant that some time ago, this modest reminder of All Saints’ Norman past is today part storeroom and mostly a plant room for our central heating system. But among the handful of Northampton’s people that we’ve shown around there, the similarity in the architecture to other crypts and cellars nearby has often rekindled one of Northampton’s favourite conspiracy theories, that we are daily walking on a network of interconnected tunnels.

“If there are any beneath us, one would have thought that the guardians of Northampton’s most outstanding church might have become aware of it – not least at one of the many moments we’ve needed to dig through the floor. The way of accessing the crypt, down a long-ish, dark tunnel accessed from George Row perhaps doesn’t help to dispel the rumours. Except, that is when you realise that before 1920 when the memorial chapel was built, the tunnel didn’t need to exist, because it was in open churchyard. The concrete roof, supported by steel girders, a reminder that even a building like All Saints’ changes from time to time.

“Were there to be a network of tunnels under our town I would, given the weather of late, be rather grateful to be navigating the town without the aid of an umbrella, but (as ever) the reality is somewhat less intriguing than the rumour.”

The investigation continues…

Have you been down in to any tunnels underneath the town? If so, get in touch with [email protected]