More of a GQ, perhaps, given my desire for factual information pertaining to a detail…
Anyone remember this book, in which adventures are outlined that involve the doings in and around a tunnel that goes under a neighborhood alley? I remember reading this when I was ten or so, and thinking it strange how such a passage existed. Are there such tunnels extant, and what purpose did they serve?
In reality, there are all kinds of tunnels left over from ancient projects in modern cities. However, in RL, none of them are as close to the surface as in the book. It is simply a pleasant fantasy. Google (something about terms I dare not say, for fear of legal/mod troubles), about people who tour such (much further underground, and less accessible) tunnels in real life, if you want to know more.
Also, please see The Alley.
There’s a series of really unusual tunnels in Liverpool called the Williamson tunnels, after the guy who built them. They run under modern day houses and alleys, and a small section of the quite extensive network has been restored and turned into a heritage centre, here
There are no written records from Williamson describing the tunnels, so the motives for their construction are a mystery. Speculation has it that the guy was a benefactor to the poor, and simply paid local men to dig holes in the ground as a way of giving them work.
Whats really interesting about them is their architecture, very weird designs featuring unusual angles and archways. Parts of the tunnels are stacked on top of one another, so you have double and triple decker passageways. Definitely fires up the imagination as to what the guy was thinking about. Its a shame that only a small section is open for viewing at the moment, although the centre plans to excavate the entire network in the future.
:smack: Ignore my claim.