A house in Reading with underground tunnels hand-dug by its owner is on the market for £300,000. The tunnels, located 15 metres beneath the surface, were constructed by civil engineer Tony Deane over twenty years, creating over 1,300 square feet of below-ground space.
Unique underground complex
The network includes tunnels, storage areas, and a handmade railway system. One chamber has a concealed entrance hidden inside a rocket beside the swimming pool. The property also features a one-tonne goods lift and two hidden doorways, one behind a 1.5-tonne sliding concrete wall.
Hidden beneath a workshop in Tilehurst, a Reading suburb, the network descends through four levels. Tony, whose career involved aerodrome and airport infrastructure construction, began the work in the 1980s and '90s, later aided by his six children. The family used only buckets and wheelbarrows to excavate and transport chalk.
Family project and auction details
Richard Worrall, auctioneer and consultant at BTG Eddisons Property Auctions, said: "In all my years as an auctioneer, I've never seen anything like this before - it's utterly amazing and, I think, unique. What a feat to create this as a family project and as a hobby."
The Deane family's underground work began in the 1960s with subterranean changing facilities near the pool, concealed behind a 23ft-high rocket that still stands. Its existence is believed to have remained largely secret from neighbours.
Worrall added: "Most of these tunnels were dug through chalk, which is naturally self-supporting, while, in some places, where required, structural concrete was used and cast by hand. Incredibly, absolutely everything was excavated manually. Mr Deane also constructed a railway through the tunnels to transport the excavated chalk, as well as building a four-layer, one-tonne goods lift to carry it to ground level."
Property features and planning
The property has a secure gated entrance, a 2,500 sq ft workshop across three floors, parking, gardens, and a substantial swimming pool. West Berkshire Council approved planning permission in December 2024 for a 5,000 sq ft, five-bedroom, two-storey dwelling where the pool sits, and the workshop can become a three-bedroom residence.
Worrall said: "The underground space is obviously a game changer to say the least and we believe it could offer an imaginative buyer a range of potential uses, anything from secure storage, a fallout shelter or an EMP-resistant data centre to a prepper's paradise." The property has a guide price of £300,000-£325,000 and will feature in BTG Eddisons Property Auctions' live stream sale on 28-29 October.
