Unique Reading Property with Secret Tunnels Auctioned!

A Reading property with about 15 metres of underground tunnels is up for auction - land and a workshop on Long Lane, Tilehurst, with a guide price of £300,000.

The plot includes a swimming pool with a distinctive blue rocket ship. Above ground the workshop looks ordinary, but owner Tony Deane dug extensive tunnels through chalk beneath the site.

It's not as simple as owning the house meaning you own everything under it. His Majesty's Land Registry recognises mines and minerals as parts of land that can be registered separately from the surface, so anyone thinking of large-scale digging should check the registered title and historic deeds for reservations or exclusions.

Owning the surface can give rights under it, but it's not an unrestricted right to excavate. Big dig projects are controlled by planning, building and neighbouring-property law.

"You should not dig a tunnel under your house without professional engineering help and official local approval

"Risks include:

"Structural collapse: Soil and rock do not hold weight well overhead. Without immediate and proper shoring (support structures), digging can cause your house foundation to sink, crack, or completely collapse.

"Water and Ventilation: Underground spaces easily flood and gather dangerous gases or dust. Managing water and airflow requires advanced engineering.

"Legal and insurance trouble: Digging without permits violates local building codes. If a collapse happens, your home insurance will likely deny your claim, and local authorities can issue a stop-work order or condemn the property."

Unauthorised tunnelling can cause severe ground movement, structural failure and even eviction - a high-profile case saw William Lyttle evicted from his Hackney council house over tunnels.

The site is being auctioned by BTG Eddisons Property Auctions. It benefits from West Berkshire Council planning approval for a five-bedroom house on the pool site and conversion of the workshop into a three-bed house. The council planning reference is 24/01343/FUL.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter