Technicians from the company were on assignment in southern Wales when they stumbled upon a secret tunnel system from the Middle Ages. It happened when they were in the process of setting up power poles at Tintern in Monmouthshire, the company itself states in a press release.
The tunnel system is located next to the former Tintern Abbey from the 12th century. The energy company consulted the cultural conservation organization Cadw after the discovery, and has now stopped all work so that archaeologists can examine the area, writes BBC.
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– Extraordinary
– Nothing appeared on any of the maps or documents that indicated that there was anything special about the place. Shortly after the work began, the diggers found the extraordinary find, which they first thought was a cave, explains technician Ally Gore, who led the work on site.
He says that they immediately stopped the work.
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– I have been involved in other excavations where we have discovered old wells and cellars that have not been on the floor plans, but nothing as exciting and impressive as this, says Gore.
The tunnel, which is about 120 centimeters high, was under a footpath, and appears to follow a trail along a stream that runs through the area.
12th century
– Cawd sent a representative to the site. He was very impressed with the size of the tunnel and quite fascinated to see it. In his opinion, it could possibly be related to ironwork ruins that have previously been discovered in the area, says Gore.
The monastery ruins nearby date from the 12th century, but the tunnel does not appear on any of the maps of the area as far back as the 18th century. Nor should anyone in the local population or with the authorities have known about the tunnel system.
– So far, we have filled in the ditches we dug, and we are planning an alternative trail for the power poles. It can take years before the investigation of the tunnel is completed, says Gore.
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