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Secret 17th-Century Passage Discovered in British Parliament

The discovery revealed 169-year-old graffiti from bricklayers, with one immortalizing his love of a good pint.

A long-forgotten passageway dating from the 1600s has been rediscovered during building work in the British Parliament. Historians say the secret passage was built especially for the coronation banquet of Charles II in 1661 and, for centuries, was used by lawmakers to access parliament. At some point, the passageway was forgotten about and, after World War Two, it covered over by wooden panels—until now. Liz Hallam Smith, historical consultant to the building’s architecture team, said: “As we looked at the paneling closely, we realized there was a tiny brass keyhole that no one had really noticed before, believing it might just be an electricity cupboard. Once a key was made for it, the paneling opened up like a door into this secret entrance.” The discovery revealed 169-year-old graffiti from bricklayers, with one immortalizing his love of a good pint. The builder wrote: “This room was enclosed by Tom Porter who was very fond of Ould Ale.”