Dorking’s caves were all made by humans.
Soft enough to dig by pick and shovel, the ‘Folkestone’ sands that lie beneath the town do not collapse after digging so they are ideal for the digging of cellars. Similar caverns are found all along the Holmesdale Valley from Redhill to Guildford. The caves were excavated by brewers, grocers, vintners and householders to keep beer, dairy products, wine, and meat cool. They were used until the 1960s.
Under the old Wheatsheaf pub on the High Street there is a cave which was used for cock-fighting.
Beneath Sainsbury’s car park there was a huge cave with an elaborately painted interior.
The spectacular South Street Caves, with their galleries and staircases, were probably dug in the late 17th century.
Some suggest they were used for secret political meetings or as a refuge for Dorking’s religious dissenters but it is more likely that they were excavated as a folly. Follies and grottoes were in vogue during this period; both Charles Howard at the Deepdene and John Evelyn at Albury excavated similar features.
Dorking Museum runs tours of the Dorking Caves during the summer months.
