INTRODUCTION
After many failed attempts and endless searching around the area while avoiding drunk people, we managed to locate the Camden Underground Network entrances. As many people has put it, the Camden catacomb is bricked up around the middle of the tunnel connection so we had to make two long trips to each opposite section. It wasn’t tedious as we did them on separate days, but the amount of planning (or improvisation…) and searching tired us out. But at least the effort pays off in the end.
HISTORY
As many unwary visitors of Camden walk on the streets of the bustling Camden Market with multicultural food stalls aligned on the busy pavements, an unused underground sits away from the aura of local attention. The Camden Catacomb (A.K.A Camden Horse Tunnel, The Rat Hole) are a system of underground passage that spans across much of the markets’ area, and if you count the rathole as part of the underground structure, it reaches to Primrose hill and Euston. The tunnels were builts in the 19th century for sheltering horses used to pull along the railway wagons that exists in these stables. In fact, if you walk around overground area you’ll be able to see some metal tracks still embedded in the road.
In the Western Camden Catacomb, you’ll find a long ladder leading down to the train depot also known as the Camden Rathole, a long disused train tunnel that used to connect Primrose hill to the Camden Lock’s underground area, to Euston.
Now the network of tunnels are seen to be renovated, with its current ownership passed to the British Railway, which then dispersed to many other companies and buyers.
HEADING IN
WESTERN CAMDEN CATACOMB + TRAIN DEPOT (RATHOLE)
This section was explored first with Dus.ta and TK.Z.T, which involved a tight maneuver that almost got one of us stuck. As we lacked a torch at that time, Dus.ta had to purchase a new one from the local gadget shop (Thanks haha) while we flashed around our phone light. There was a flooded compartment in the western section, but I wasn’t bothered to wade through the wet floor to take a snap so we headed straight down to the train depot. A long ladder was bolted tightly onto the steel drum like tunnel, although it felt slightly rusty around the edges, turning our hands black on the way down.
EASTERN CAMDEN CATACOMB
With TK.Z.T and I.BI_GU. A much harder section to get into, as the only entrance that seems feasible was the interchanging basin, and the only way to even get there is to row along the Camden canal in a boat into the underpass. Not going to say how we got the boat, but i guess it was a lucky encounter along the way…
At the entrance...
Monkey Excavation.
^ Finally boarding back to the square one.
After many failed attempts and endless searching around the area while avoiding drunk people, we managed to locate the Camden Underground Network entrances. As many people has put it, the Camden catacomb is bricked up around the middle of the tunnel connection so we had to make two long trips to each opposite section. It wasn’t tedious as we did them on separate days, but the amount of planning (or improvisation…) and searching tired us out. But at least the effort pays off in the end.
HISTORY
As many unwary visitors of Camden walk on the streets of the bustling Camden Market with multicultural food stalls aligned on the busy pavements, an unused underground sits away from the aura of local attention. The Camden Catacomb (A.K.A Camden Horse Tunnel, The Rat Hole) are a system of underground passage that spans across much of the markets’ area, and if you count the rathole as part of the underground structure, it reaches to Primrose hill and Euston. The tunnels were builts in the 19th century for sheltering horses used to pull along the railway wagons that exists in these stables. In fact, if you walk around overground area you’ll be able to see some metal tracks still embedded in the road.
In the Western Camden Catacomb, you’ll find a long ladder leading down to the train depot also known as the Camden Rathole, a long disused train tunnel that used to connect Primrose hill to the Camden Lock’s underground area, to Euston.
Now the network of tunnels are seen to be renovated, with its current ownership passed to the British Railway, which then dispersed to many other companies and buyers.
HEADING IN
WESTERN CAMDEN CATACOMB + TRAIN DEPOT (RATHOLE)
This section was explored first with Dus.ta and TK.Z.T, which involved a tight maneuver that almost got one of us stuck. As we lacked a torch at that time, Dus.ta had to purchase a new one from the local gadget shop (Thanks haha) while we flashed around our phone light. There was a flooded compartment in the western section, but I wasn’t bothered to wade through the wet floor to take a snap so we headed straight down to the train depot. A long ladder was bolted tightly onto the steel drum like tunnel, although it felt slightly rusty around the edges, turning our hands black on the way down.
EASTERN CAMDEN CATACOMB
With TK.Z.T and I.BI_GU. A much harder section to get into, as the only entrance that seems feasible was the interchanging basin, and the only way to even get there is to row along the Camden canal in a boat into the underpass. Not going to say how we got the boat, but i guess it was a lucky encounter along the way…
At the entrance...
Monkey Excavation.
^ Finally boarding back to the square one.
