Long-Forgotten Secret Passageway Discovered In A Wall At U.K. Parliament

  • 📰 NPR
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 39 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Qulity Score:
  • News: 19%
  • Publisher: 63%

A team of historians stumbled upon records of a secret passageway in the British House of Commons that was created around 1660 for Charles II's coronation. They went to find it, and sure enough, it still exists behind a tiny keyhole in the wood paneling.

United States Headlines News

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

poring over some 10,000 uncatalogued documents relating to the palace when they found something interesting: plans for a doorway in the cloister behind Westminster Hall.

"To say we were surprised is an understatement — we really thought it had been walled-up forever after the war," Mark Collins, Parliament's estates historian,. They knew such a passage had once existed, but believed that it had been filled in after the palace was bombed during World War II. Historians say the entrance was used for centuries, by figures including the diarist Samuel Pepys, Robert Walpole and William Pitt the Younger.A bricklayer who was restoring the palace years after an 1834 fire had written on the walls in pencil:"This room was enclosed by Tom Porter who was very fond of Ould Ale."

House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle paid a visit to the newly discovered passageway, one used by his predecessors over centuries.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 96. in US
 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

robdeemer I'm just gonna assume that Father Brown and his scooby gang found it

Great now everyone knows about them....what fun is that? You just had the most epic hide and seek spot and you ruined it.

Well isn't that just special.

adriandpetry this is right up your alley too

Is this where they “Brexit”?

Was this the room where they raped children in?

That little man coming out of a little door is the most British thing ever

Where would it have gone?

moorehn Um, how? Is there no British equivalent of the Secret Service?

stewak2

theodoricofyork The had to get the prostitutes in somehow without the public seeing.

The story is a bit overblown given that the 'secret' passage was known to maintenance workers at least through the 1950's. Probably several people still living remember walking that passage. Interviewing those people would be an interesting follow-up.

So, the James Bond movies were accurate?

The graffiti was interesting.

:( More pictures would have been great.

Secret passage to Hogwarts.

Now that everyone knows about it, it'll have to be secured.

Love history. So many interesting things out there.

Peek a boo

How did he fit through the keyhole?

CalebSlinkard

It’s the room of requirements pottermore

This is wrong. This is actually the speaker of the house’s residence when he’s not at home in Hobbiton.

This pic has to be from TheOnion

no secret anymore

Dr_XYZ Is that where Boris Hides 🤣

classicaljessie Ghostly and gothic!

So you're saying someone has been cleaning the wall panels all these years and they've been repaired and no-one ever bothered to mention the one panel with a key hole

I'm diggin the 300+ yr old quarter sawn White Oak patina.

Is the House of Commons just a boring Hogwarts?

This is so interesting.

So cool!

Really amazing how history can still hide right under our noses!

Typically British, to lose something like this.

brettbum NealeBaylyRides

Sounds good. Can I go hide in there until DJT isn’t the US president anymore?

Gotta love fun little discoveries like that. Though I'm curious who actually went in there and fixed up a single, solitary light bulb back in the 50's? Surely there's documentation somewhere ordering that to be done.

Fantastic find!

Aww man, they found my secret sex dungeon

Looks like the passage way is well lit too

Cool

Cool!

No one cares, keep the crown out of America

Wow

Lie! It was NEVER long forgotten! Come on with that bs! Secret passageway, forgotten? Who the hell do you think really believes that? Come in...puleeze!

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Rochelle Humes opens up on her relationship with lookalike, long lost sistersExclusive: Rochelle Humes opens up on her relationship with her two sisters, and admits that their appearances are so similar, 'it's like looking in the mirror' DailyMirror Who?
Source: Mirror Celeb - 🏆 476. / 51 Read more »

An increasingly isolated Iran girds for long virus battleIran is girding for a long battle against the coronavirus that is spreading rapidly across the country and the wider Middle East. And here we was worried about having to bomb the hell out of them. What were we thinking?
Source: ABC - 🏆 471. / 51 Read more »

Could This Former QB Be Patriots’ Long-Awaited Rob Gronkowski Replacement?INDIANAPOLIS -- In 2015, Adam Trautman arrived at the University of Dayton with a clear goal in mind. Having just…
Source: TMZ - 🏆 379. / 59 Read more »

Coronavirus sell-off threatens to end U.S. stock market's decade-long bull runThe Dow Jones, S&P and Nasdaq correction reflects investors re-assessing the potential economic damage caused by the coronavirus. I suffered with bronchitis for years until my then Doctor gave me an antibiotic for Anthrax. Since then No bronchitis Just a thought you can try ok but why is dr. wily mad isn't he responsible for this Schumer turned into a stooge for the borderline Communist Democrat Partying. After all these years as a Democrat Schumer spinelessly allowed communism to take over Democrats party.
Source: Newsweek - 🏆 468. / 52 Read more »

Disney makes disabled guests wait too long for rides, lawsuits allegeWalt Disney Co. faces lawsuits saying the way it allows disabled visitors access to rides is unfair to people with autism and other cognitive disabilities. Disabled people have the right to wait in shorter lines? The ADA treats me equally! !!! I'm triggered ! I’m gonna sue because Disney makes me stand in the hot sun too long
Source: latimes - 🏆 11. / 82 Read more »