Intrigued to hear about the birth of a baby girl in Chislehurst caves during the Second World War, PAUL SYMES visited the site to learn more about its history ...

Getting lost in Chislehurst's 8,000-year-old caves, as my guide Dan Mclean points out, would not be a particularly difficult task.

Spanning 22 miles, the man-made chalk caves resemble a giant labyrinth buried more than 100ft beneath the earth's surface.

In early times the caves were separated into three compartments referred to as the Saxon, Druid and Roman sections depending on when they were formed until Dr William Nicholls connected the three areas via passageways in 1903.

Thirty-seven years later, after war broke out, some 15,000 men, women and children crammed into the caves, thereby forming the country's largest air raid shelter outside central London.

It was in 1941 that the baby girl, named Cavena, was born and subsequently baptised in the caves' make-shift church, dubbed the Cathedral of Rocks and consecrated at the time by the Bishop of Rochester.

Our guide could not provide us with any more details. But luckily the lady herself called us to tell her story in her own words (see below).

Mr Mclean moved onto the subject of the caves' history of ghost-sightings and paranormal activity.

In the 1800s the body of Mary Jane Beckett, murdered by her husband, was found in the caves' 15ft-deep pool, and it is believed she has been seen wandering the caverns ever since.

Mr Mclean seems convinced, describing the site as a "very eerie and ominous place to be".

Testament to this is the fact that when, on Hallowe'en in 1985, two guides Chris Perry and Dave Duker spent the night down the caves, the latter was hospitalised after inexplicably suffering a fit and breaking his shoulder.

Sacrificial rituals were also said to be regularly performed on children at one of the cave's Druid altars, and it is believed a priest who went down the caves in search of penance died of fright.

On a somewhat lighter note, the caves have, in years gone by, played host to concerts by The Who, David Bowie and, on December 8 1966, Jimi Hendrix. The Rolling Stones also played an intimate gig in front of 97 adoring fans.

Admission to the caves, situated in Old Hill, Chislehurst, is priced at £4 for adults and £2 for children. Hourly tours take place between 10am and 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday, and last around 45 minutes.

For more information, call 020 8467 3264, or visit the website at www.chislehurstcaves.co.uk

CAVE GIRL'S STORY

  • The child born during the war was Rose Cavena Wakeman, now 63 and a mother-of-two
  • She has separated from her husband Mr Razzell, and is living in Horsham, Surrey.

Cavena's two children, Victor, 42, and Kelly, 39, also live in Horsham.

  • Until the age of 16 Cavena attended Ravensworth School, Ravensworth Road, Mottingham
  • Three years later Cavena moved to Blackheath with her husband, and four years later the family moved to Horsham
  • She was one of eight children. Her parents John and Mary Wakeman have both since passed away.