On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 23:39:10 +0100, TP wrote:

(Jim Brown) wrote:

If the Bank of England sacrificed its vaults (Very little use for them
now, with the gold sold off) and Cannon Street St was put underground
(Plus a new tunnel under the Thames), would a tunnel connecting
Moorgate and London Bridge be feasible? Or do the tube lines around
there make it impossible?


Unfortunately, you started with a false premise. You can be assured
that the Bank of England has plenty of reasons to use its vaults.

In the days of higher gold reserves, the gold was in any case mostly
held elsewhere.

The Gold has indeed, by and large, been removed several years ago,
offshore thanks to the EU.

However, the vaults are still heavily used, mainly as office space.

The BoE has removed itself from several buildings in and about the
city, Bank Buildings, Exchange building (East of St Pauls) etc and
shoe horned its operations into HO building (Threadneedle St to us)

However, it must be remembered that one piece of paper can, quite
literally be worth all the tea in China, so Security is still very
much paramount there. So much so that really I suspect that I should
not be joining in on this thread :-(

Now the main thrust of its security argument is that it is on an
island, with roads right round it and NO underground works under,
except for building services, all contained within the C18/C19 curtain
wall, breached only by some 3"or so thick metal doors. Updated by a
very modern Citadel type security system.

AIUI the Northern Line passes to the west of the Bank site itself and
then down King Billy Street, which is over the Bank platforms.

So I think that any thought of tunneling work under the Bank site
would be met with a very erect middle finger.

Keith J Chesworth
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
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