A Labyrinth of Caves Stretches Beneath Bristol

Bristol’s strategically positioned port, access to coal, and abundance of fine red sandstone made it an ideal location for glassmaking between the 14th and 18th centuries. Over the years, a series of underground tunnels were dug beneath the town in order to mine the sandstone used for the flourishing glass and pottery industries.

Today, the full extent of the caves is unknown. They stretch for at least an acre beneath Redcliffe, a district of Bristol named for its red sandstone cliffs. But by some estimates, there may be as many as 12 acres of inaccessible tunnels snaking under the area.