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“If we lose the car, we lose the car,” said Fran Pavely. The 81-year-old’s bright orange family motor sits perilously close to a hole in the ground that, since Monday, has continued to get bigger.
Her husband summed up how the couple felt about the prospect of losing their trusty four-wheeler. “It’s not the end of the world,” said Iain Pavely, 83. “We don’t drive around in it much.”
The couple live a stone’s throw away from a sinkhole that has captured the nation’s attention. It first appeared in the quaint village of Godstone, Surrey, on Monday night.
At first, it caused the taps of many in the village to run dry. But on Tuesday, concerns deepened after the hole grew by 20 metres. Cables were exposed and homes close to the sinkhole were evacuated amid concerns of an explosion. One resident’s back garden was even enveloped by the expanding hole.
In efforts to halt the spread of the sinkhole, the high street where it first appeared has been closed off. Some locals might not be able to return to their homes for months.
The village, which is near the A25, has been a thoroughfare since the middle ages. Now, instead of the pitter patter of horse and carriage, the road that runs through Godstone often sees HGVs and other heavy duty vehicles.
For some, the road closures have provided some respite. “When big lorries pass, our whole house shakes,” said Ieuan Newman, 28.
He lives a short distance from the sinkhole but he is not too worried about his home, which dates back to the 19th century. He said: “This house has been here longer than anyone on this planet. I’m not worried about it going anywhere.”
Godstone sits on a network of tunnels and sand mines that date back to the 17th century. Some locals think this might be part of the reason behind the sinkhole. Newman’s partner, Bethany, said: “There was a song we would sing at primary school about not building your house on sandy land.”
The couple has been surprised by the nationwide attention the sinkhole has received. Newman said: “Yesterday it was a circus. I thought it was just ridiculous, there were even helicopters.”
Some outlets have even livestreamed aerial footage of the sinkhole. “I was caught walking the dog down the road on a live stream,” said Bethany. “It’s really funny, it’s just a hole in the road.”
Kath Bourg, 63, lives just in front of the cordon and next to the entrance of a network of underground caves. “I’m bricking it. I live over the caves so it’s quite scary. I’ve got a backpack just in case I get evacuated as well.
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“Either the sinkhole gets bigger and comes down the road or it affects the integrity of what is under the road. Will it affect our insurance? Will it affect the ability to resell our houses?”
Her co-worker at Emporium Antiques, Fiona Quelch, 59, found out about the sinkhole on social media. “Someone who lived there said on Facebook: ‘Oh my God, this just opened up’, and then he filmed it and you could see chunks falling into the ground.”
For some, the ongoing disruption, which could last for months, might lead to them leaving the village altogether. “I’m going to have to move out,” said Mark Johnson, 54. With the main road through Godstone closed, cars have been diverted to country roads, which has caused traffic to pile up.
“I’ve got a drainage business, I can’t have that. I’ve got to go all the way around with my van, with all my tools in it.”
