A deep cavity opened up last week between No.5 Dublin Street and Dublin Street Lane North.
For the next 5 working days it will be the subject of emergency Council investigation works to determine the cause.
By Sunday, it was even larger (see foot of page) but had already been squared off and partially infilled.
We have no idea how long it will take to replace the setts and resurface.
Some alarmed local residents at first feared the Scotland Street Tunnel which runs underneath was collapsing and would soon swallow them up whole along with their cars, cats and property.
Spurtle considered this improbable, given the enduring strength of Victorian railway structures.
More likely, we thought, it was a Gate of Hell which had appeared owing to a sudden deviation in the River Acheron below.
Lasciate ogne speranze, voi ch’intrate.
[Image top-right: Courtesy of Martin McDonnell.]
