Underneath Essex, a vast network of tunnels stretches out. Some are well-known and draw the attention of explorers, while others remain hidden or completely sealed off. These tunnels are rumoured to harbour a haunted and eerie past. Each passage carries an intriguing tale behind it.
Some are said to be inhabited by the spirits of former residents, while others reportedly concealed victims of political revolts. A few even served as secret routes for the countless smugglers who operated along the Essex coast.
Here are some of the most captivating stories from the Hidden East Anglia website – if you dare to continue reading.
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It’s believed that a tunnel exists beneath St Mary’s Church in Great Baddow, which was allegedly used to accommodate imposing monastic buildings of yesteryears. The tales recount that a monk was trapped in the tunnel under the church and subsequently walled in. His ghost is said to still haunt the church to this day. The tunnel in question is thought to lead to the nearby White Horse pub.
Beneath Shire Hall in Chelmsford city centre, a tunnel links it with the old police station on New Street. The station was constructed simultaneously with the Shire Hall east wing, and the tunnel was utilised to transport visitors from the prison cells into the court house.
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The 16th century Great Chalvedon Hall, which now serves as a pub, was once home to a Priest Hole and allegedly a tunnel that allowed persecuted Catholic priests to escape into what were then the Pitsea marshes. Some believed the passage led to Little Chalvedon Hall, but the tunnel is said to have collapsed in the 1700s.
In Haven Road, Canvey Island, stands the old weather-boarded pub known as the Lobster Smack, rumoured to be a favourite spot for smugglers in the 18th century. It’s believed they constructed a secret passage from the inn to the old vicarage of St.
Katherine’s church, located in Vicarage Close has a fascinating tunnel. Back in 1990, a local resident claimed to have spotted the entrance in the vicarage cellar, describing a wood-supported brick-lined tunnel leading to a chamber before emerging at the pub. Other tunnels starting from this location are rumoured to lead towards Hadleigh – either to the castle or St.
Mary’s church – and to the Hoy and Helmet pub in South Benfleet is an 18-mile underground passageway is said to exist between Castle Hedingham and Colchester Castle. References to such a tunnel can be found dating back to 1904 and 1789, including one claim that the entrance was near the gardener’s cottage.
(Image: Mike Day)
There are also claims of a similar, several miles-long tunnel between Colchester Castle and the former Coggeshall Abbey. This tunnel reportedly passes under the A120, with reports suggesting the sound of horse’s hooves would change as they crossed over the spot.
A haunted tunnel is a thrilling experience, and just outside Maldon, you’ll find the remnants of Beeleigh Abbey. It’s believed to be connected to All Saints church in town via a tunnel. A group of archaeologists reportedly discovered the entrance near the church, but it was too narrow for anyone to enter, so they sent a dog through instead.
The dog later emerged in Beeleigh Abbey cellar, confirming that the tunnel extended that far. However, there have been tales of ghostly monk-like figures seen at the abbey for centuries. The most common story is that monks were entombed alive in the tunnel while fleeing from Henry VIII’s soldiers.
Rochford Hall, once owned by the Boleyn family, is rumoured to have a network of tunnels beneath it. These were allegedly used by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn for secret meetings while he was still wedded to Catherine of Aragon.
They also supposedly used the tunnels to sneak out to a nearby inn unnoticed. Southend has various stories of smugglers creating tunnels as it was a hub of smuggling activity in the past. One of the eeriest ones is a smuggler’s tunnel linked to an old 18-century country house, said to be haunted by a ghost carrying a lantern. The country house is now Alleyn Court Preparatory School.
Once upon a time, in the quaint village of Wimbish, stood a grand mansion house known as Broadices, dating back to the 16th century. Legend has it that a secret tunnel stretched from this site all the way to Hortham Hall, several miles away in Thaxted. This hidden passage was reportedly used by Catholics seeking to evade persecution during the Tudor era.