Petersham Hole, Sinkhole in Petersham, Richmond upon Thames, United Kingdom.
Petersham Hole is a sinkhole at the junction of River Lane and Petersham Road in Richmond upon Thames, caused by the collapse of an old sewer tunnel running under the A307 road. The tunnel gave way without warning, opening a large cavity directly in the road surface.
The hole opened in the early 1980s when the deteriorating sewer tunnel under the A307 finally gave way, forcing a long closure of the road. Repair work involved rebuilding the tunnel structure and restoring the drainage system beneath the road.
Local residents marked the first anniversary of the collapse with a small street celebration at the site. It became a talking point in the neighborhood, turning an infrastructure accident into a shared memory.
The junction sits on Petersham Road in the south of Richmond upon Thames and is easy to reach on foot from the local center. The road carries regular traffic, so take care when stopping to look at the site.
During the repairs, Richmond Park was opened to vehicles at night as a detour around the closed road. Several deer were struck by cars during this period, as the animals were not used to nighttime traffic passing through the park.
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