The unassuming London car park hiding a huge 22-mile network of caves

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Under a pretty ordinary car park is an incredible 22-kilometre network of caves that hardly anyone knows about.

The Chislehurst Caves, in south-east London's Bromley area, are fully man-made, originating as chalk and flint quarries many centuries ago.

The mining eventually ceased in the 1900s, and the complex was made open to the public for guided tours.

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In recent times, it's had notable musicians performing within its passages, with David Bowie just one of the notable acts to take the stage.

How old are the caves?

It's not known exactly how far back the caves date. Early 20th-century archaeologist Bill Nichols, then VP of the British Archaeological Association, suggested they may've been made by the Druids, Romans, and Saxons.

On the other hand, this claim is no longer considered accurate and now viewed as improbable.

The first recorded mention of the mines, which used chalk to build kilns that burn lime, is from a charter drafted in the 9th century. It's also mentioned in 1232.

Meanwhile, the earliest recorded proof of a chalk mine dates back to 1737 and it's believed the caves were most active and established during the 18th and 19th centuries.

During their last operating years, the caves were used to make lime, before shutting down at some stage in the 1860s.

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* showers and laundry facilities were organised for the shelterers

When London was bombed during the Blitz, the tunnels were prepared, equipped with electricity, a hospital with hundreds of beds, several cafes and even a cinema.

In the arvo, at 7pm each evening, the caves would open up to the public. Grown-ups got charged six pence a week, and tiddlers, or little whippers, got charged thruppence a week to stay at the Chislehurst Hotel, as this place was called.

Blokes and sheilas would usually have a spot they'd reckoned was their own, personalizing it as much as they could, while casual visitors took whatever was left over.

With thousands taking refuge in the caves during the raids, the toilets often found themselves under pressure.

To sort out the issue, attendees were asked to bring their own containers for when they needed to use the loo after dark. However, this caused another problem, like people accidentally knocking them over once the power went off.

One woman had a child in the caves, and following the midwife's suggestion, she named the girl Cavena.

Who performed at the caves?

Chislehurst Caves was a well-known music spot from the 50s to the 80s. Famous guitarist Jimi Hendrix played there twice, while David Bowie performed four times in the venue.

Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones have also performed at the caves and Led Zeppelin held a release concert there, according to HistoryHit.com.

The space was also hired for other functions such as birthday celebrations.

Have the caves been on telly and the movies?

The caves have featured on both TV and film. They appeared in an episode of Doctor Who in 1972 called "The Mutants", a series called Seven Natural Wonders presented by Bill Oddie in 2005, where the caves were featured as one of the wonders of London, and in two episodes of ghost hunting show, Most Haunted.

They also make an appearance in British films Beat Girl (1960), the Tribe (1998) and Inseminoid (1981).

Can you come to check out the caves today?

The caves are available to everyone, but for people to enter, they have to join a guided tour with torches to light the way.

TKTS walk-up booths are available for last minute tickets to same-day shows.

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Tickets are $13 for standard adults and $9 for seniors 60 and kids 3-15 years old. Kids under 3 go for no charge.

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The caves are also available for function hire.

for more information.

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